As the Department of Justice is poised to bring criminal corruption charges against Democrat New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, one group is strongly suggesting that the Democrat resign.
American Commitment, a free-market grassroots organization, has set up a website, ByeBob.com, and has launched a petition to help make that happen.
CNN first reported on Friday that federal charges could come down within weeks against Menendez, who has been the target of a federal grand jury investigation since 2013. The forthcoming charges likely center on Mendendez’s relationship with Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor. Menendez accepted rides on Melgen’s private jet to his estate in the Dominican Republic in 2010. Melgen also donated $700,000 to a Democratic Super PAC. Most of the money was filtered to Menendez’s senate campaign.
In exchange, Menendez intervened on behalf of Melgen regarding a Medicare fraud investigation against the eye doctor. Melgen’s firm received $21 million in Medicare reimbursements in 2012 alone. Menendez also allegedly helped influence a Dominican port-security deal for Melgen’s benefit.
Though Menendez has strongly denied any wrongdoing, Justice Department officials told CNN that Attorney General Eric Holder had signed off on plans to file charges in the case. The charges could come within weeks, according to the network’s sources.
“Bob Menendez unethically, likely criminally, compromised his ability to represent the people of New Jersey,” American Commitment president Phil Kerpen said in a statement announcing the website and petition. “As the chairman, and now the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Menendez also endangered national security through these corrupt arrangements.”
“Bob Menendez is entitled to his day in court, which he will have,” Kerpen continued. “But he must resign now so that New Jersey can have a senator and America a ranking member who can represent constituents and the national interest free of an ongoing prosecution.”