Calls for Menendez to resign pour in amid guilty verdict

Sen. Bob Menendez was once one of the most influential people in Washington, D.C.

Now New Jersey's senior senator is a convicted felon facing calls to step down from his seat.

A federal jury found him guilty on all 16 counts after a two-month trial that accused him of a laundry list of misdeeds, including bribery, extortion, obstruction, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt and conspiracy.

Gov. Phil Murphy reiterated his call for Menendez to resign, saying he calls on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel him if he refuses.

After receiving " a fair trial and due process of law" the verdict "demonstrates that the senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office," Murphy said in statement. "It also shows that in America, everyone – no matter how powerful – is accountable to our laws."

He thanked "all the public servants who play crucial roles in our criminal justice system, including our law enforcement officials, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors and judges. Their hard work ensured that these brazen crimes were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and our nation is grateful for their service."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had not previously joined the chorus calling for Menendez's resignation, had a different view after Tuesday's jury finding.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said in a brief statement.

Menendez is still running for his seat, only as an independent, after announcing earlier this year that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for a fourth term after he was snubbed by his party.

"The conviction of a sitting United States Senator for bribery, extortion, and serving the interests of foreign powers, among other offenses, represents a sad day for our state and our country," N.J. Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in press release. "The jury’s verdict also serves to underscore the importance of prosecutor’s offices — like the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District — who have the difficult but critical job of holding powerful people who abuse the public’s trust accountable for their misconduct.

"In my office, as in offices like it across the nation, we will never rest in our effort to hold power to account and restore faith in our government officials and institutions," he added.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jon Bramnick, currently a senator representing the state's 21st District, called on voters "to end (a) five-decade-long Democrat monopoly in New Jersey's Senate representation, and vote for Curtis Bashaw."

"Given the verdict, the senator should resign immediately or be expelled from the United States Senate," Bramnick said. "Corruption has no place in New Jersey and the actions of Senator Menendez have brought shame on our great state."