WASHINGTON — The Senate Ethics Committee informed Senator Bob Menendez on Monday that its members voted unanimously to seek “judicial review of his alleged violations of Senate rules,” a move that could lead to the New Jersey Democrat’s possible expulsion from the upper chamber or censure.
Last week, a jury found Menendez At his corruption trial in federal court, he was found guilty on all counts of accepting bribes in the form of gold bars, cash, car and mortgage payments from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for favors in Egypt and Qatar and of interfering in two criminal investigations.
At the time he accepted the bribes, Menendez was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Senate Ethics Committee co-chairs Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, and James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, said in a joint statement They expect that the committee “will promptly complete the judicial review.”
“Upon completion of the judicial review, the committee will promptly submit a written report to the Senate with the specific findings and any recommendations for disciplinary action,” they wrote.
Menendez’s office did not respond to a request for comment from States Newsroom.
Menendez has filed to run for his seat as an independent, despite many of his Democratic colleagues urging him to resign. US Representative Andy Kima Democrat, is running for the Senate seat against Republican Curtis Bashaw.
To expel a member, two-thirds of the Senate would need to vote in favor, but to pass a resolution of no confidence, only a majority is needed. A resolution of no confidence is a disciplinary action in which the Senate formally disapproves of a member, but does not result in their removal.
Since 1789, the Senate has excluded 15 members, according to the Senate archives. The last time a senator was expelled was Jesse D. Bright from Indiana In 1862 he was expelled from office for his support of the Confederate rebellion, although there have been numerous attempts to expel him since then. Two other senators were expelled that year for their support of the Confederacy.
