Sen. Robert Menendez
The New York Times isn't waiting for a court of law to determine Sen. Robert Menendez's guilt or innocence on 14 counts of corruption – the newspaper's opining he ought to resign his political seat now, for the good of his constituents.
In an opinion entitled "Step Down, Senator Robert Menendez," the newspaper's editorial board wrote: "[Menendez] would be doing a disservice to New Jersey by clinging to his power as a disgraced politician. His colleagues in the Senate should demand that he step aside."
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Menendez, meanwhile, has argued he is innocent – but the New York Times has an answer for that, too.
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"He's certainly entitled to make that case to a jury," the piece said. "Considering the breadth and nature of the allegations, though, it's hard to imagine that he will have enough time to adequately represent his constituents while he braces for a legal fight that could drag on for years."
The New York Times also lays out its case against Menendez, going through several of the charges the senator faces in federal court for his association with Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye surgeon. Menendez has said the Justice Department has confused friendship for corruption and that the allegations he faces related to giving political favors to Melgen in exchange for pricey trips and airline flights are simple misunderstandings – that they're the result of friendship.
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Menendez, who was just handed a 68-page indictment of federal charges, has vowed he's not stepping down, though he did cede his leading Democratic role in a key senate committee.
The allegations have plagued Menendez for three years, but are only coming to court now, at a time when the New Jersey senator has been one of President Obama's most outspoken opponents on the forging nuclear deal with Iran.
