As you’ve no doubt heard, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was charged today with taking bribes:

Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was charged on Friday with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including bars of gold bullion, to wield his power abroad and at home.

The three-count federal indictment depicted a brazen plan hatched during furtive dinners, in text messages and on encrypted calls — much of it aimed at increasing U.S. assistance to Egypt and aiding businessmen in New Jersey.

Mr. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, is accused of acting as a go-between, passing messages to an American-Egyptian businessman, Wael Hana, who maintained close connections with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, the indictment said. In one text, to an Egyptian general, Mr. Hana referred to the senator, who held sway over military sales, financing and other aid, as “our man.”

As Ed wrote yesterday, Menendez has faced down investigations before and true to form he’s predicting this situation will be “successfully resolved once all of the facts are presented.” He released a defiant statement this afternoon:

Soon after the news conference, Mr. Menendez issued an angry page-long denunciation of the charges, blaming them on unnamed “forces behind the scenes” that have “repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave.”

“The excesses of these prosecutors is apparent,” he added. “They have misrepresented the normal work of a congressional office. On top of that, not content with making false claims against me, they have attacked my wife for the longstanding friendships she had before she and I even met.”

Meanwhile, Investigators turned up some pretty striking evidence in a search of their home:

Federal prosecutors said the FBI executed a search warrant on Senator Bob Menendez’s home and found $500,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes in the senator’s closet, including his jackets pockets. pic.twitter.com/ze4zdQWHTV

— Stephanie Myers (@_StephanieMyers) September 22, 2023

This is wild: Democratic Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez), who was indicted today, seems to be really living large: Over $480,000 in cash, stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe, while over $70,000 was found in Nadine Menendez’s safe deposit… pic.twitter.com/acUFOgUdPe

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) September 22, 2023

Sen. Menendez has stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. That was required by the rules of the Senate so he didn’t really have a choice about it. So what happens next?

As with anyone accused of a crime, Menendez has a presumption of innocence. Earlier today the response from fellow Dems was pretty muted. It took about 9-10 hours but now the floodgates have opened. Dems in New Jersey aren’t waiting for a conviction. Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey has called for Menendez to resign:

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic leaders on Friday called on Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, hours after federal prosecutors indicted him on bribery charges.

“The allegations in the indictment against Senator Menendez and four other defendants are deeply disturbing. These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said in a statement. “The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation.”

Murphy isn’t alone:

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), one of the most senior members of the state’s congressional delegation, said the gravity of the charges made the difference.

“I do not believe that Senator Menendez can continue to carry out the important duties of his office for our state,” Pascrell said.

New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim (D) said Menendez should resign because he lacks “the ability to properly focus on our state” while contesting the allegations. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said Menendez’s resignation would be “in the best interest of our state.” It was a sentiment echoed by another Democratic member of the New Jersey congressional delegation, Rep. Mike Sherrill.

I looked on X and so far I’m not seeing anything form Sen. Cory Booker but I am seeing some elected officials from outside the state that are jumping in on resignation. We’ll probably see a bunch more by Monday but I don’t expect Menendez will change his tune.

Here’s CBS Evening News coverage of today’s news.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is calling on Sen. Bob Menendez to resign immediately after he and his wife were indicted on bribery charges. According to the indictment, prosecutors found cash stuffed in a jacket bearing his name and gold bars wrapped in paper towels. pic.twitter.com/M6Wb0A9d5m

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) September 22, 2023