This is a big fucking deal:
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (Ill.), the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, on Wednesday called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign — joining with a majority of Senate Democrats who have now urged their colleague to step down in the wake of a federal indictment on bribery charges.
“Leaders in New Jersey, including the Governor and my Senate colleague Cory Booker, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve. He should step down,” Durbin, the Senate majority whip, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Senate president pro tempore, on Wednesday also called on Menendez to resign, saying the Senate Ethics Committee should open an investigation if he refused to do so.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), the chamber’s top Democrat, so far has stood by Menendez. After the New Jersey senator’s indictment Friday, Schumer called Menendez “a dedicated public servant” and said he has the right to due process in the criminal justice system. Schumer is expected to address reporters at his weekly news conference Wednesday afternoon.