United States senator Robert Menendez has temporarily stepped down from his role as the head of the influential Foreign Relations Committee as calls for his resignation grow following bribery charges.
Mr Menendez, a veteran lawmaker with a career spanning back to 2006 and an ally of Joe Biden, was charged on Friday along his wife, Nadine Arslanian, with taking bribes from three New Jersey businessmen.
The allegations have prompted calls for Mr Menendez’s resignation as a senator, with Democrats concerned over their chances of keeping their slim majority in the US Senate in next year’s elections.
Mr Menendez refused to resign from his New Jersey seat but later stepped down temporarily from his role as chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee until the case is resolved, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, adding that Mr Menendez had a right to due process.
The New York Democrat said his colleague was “a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey”.
Prosecutors allege the couple accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his political influence to aid the government of Egypt.
The charges, which Mr Menendez and his spouse deny, accuse them of accepting various forms of payment, including cash, gold, contributions towards a home mortgage, and a luxury vehicle, from three New Jersey businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.
Mr Menendez and Ms Arslanian each face three criminal counts: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Mr Menendez forfeit assets including his New Jersey home, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz convertible, and about $566,000 in cash, gold bars and funds from a bank account.
Senator Menendez has framed the allegations as politically motivated, stating: "For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave.
“Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists.
“I am confident that this matter will be successfully resolved once all of the facts are presented and my fellow New Jerseyans will see this for what it is,” he added.
Nevertheless, a chorus of prominent Democrats, including governor Phil Murphy and several members of Congress from New Jersey, have called for Mr Menendez's immediate resignation, citing the gravity of the allegations and their impact on his ability to represent the state.
But a wave of top Democrats, including at least four members of Congress from New Jersey, called for the lawmaker to resign.
“The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,” New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.
“Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation,” he wrote.
Under New Jersey law, if Mr Menendez were to resign, the governor would appoint a temporary replacement to serve until the next election. Such a scenario could complicate the Democrats' one-seat majority in the Senate, as any delay in the appointment could leave the seat vacant for a period.
