After Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on various bribery charges, Governor Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat, has called for him to step down immediately, the Washington Post reports. The state Democratic Party chair echoed the sentiment, suggesting that Menendez could somehow step aside and be replaced temporarily until the charges are resolved, something not really possible constitutionally.
Menendez, who has served in the Senate since 2006, stepped down as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, complying with a rule of the Democratic caucus. (A call to Congressman George Santos’s office to check if there was a similar rule for Republican Congress members went unanswered.)