No corrupt, convicted felon can credibly serve the public trust

Add U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez to the list of those serving in Congress who should resign.

Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat, was convicted Tuesday on 16 counts of federal corruption and abuse of his office, including charges of bribery, extortion under color of official right and acting as a foreign agent.

Specifically, prosecutors say Menendez accepted lavish bribes, including “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value,” in exchange for political influence and government favors. In two particularly disturbing scenarios, Menendez used his position as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to secure billions of dollars in U.S. weapons and aid for the Egyptian and Qatari governments.

Despite the seriousness of the charges, the evidence and testimony presented at trial paint a picture of the embattled senator behaving more like Bart Simpson’s villainous but bumbling nemesis, “Sideshow Bob,” than a respected senior member of the U.S. Senate. Justice Department investigators found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, a home safe and a safe-deposit box.

Put simply, prosecutors showed beyond any reasonable doubt that Menendez is both corrupt and incompetent — clearly unfit to serve in the Senate.

Menendez continues to deny the charges and maintains that he will be exonerated. But with sentencing scheduled for October and an appeal likely to take even longer, the country cannot afford to have a Senate seat filled by a convicted felon any more than it can afford to have the Oval Office occupied by a convicted felon.

With several of the foundational institutions of government already teetering precariously on the precipice of anarchy and revolution in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s first term in the White House and the looming shadow of a potential second term, both Congress and the country would be better off without Sideshow Bob making the whole system appear even more corrupt and incompetent than it already is.

Immediately after the verdict was announced Tuesday, rumors circulated that Menendez had begun reaching out to allies to inform them of his impending resignation. But Wednesday night, Menendez refuted those rumors, telling CBS News that “I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies. ... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement. Anyone who knows me knows that’s the worst way to achieve a goal with me.”

Ultimately, he may not have a choice. The chorus Democrats calling for Menendez’s resignation includes New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, as well as the state’s other senator, Cory Booker.

“He must stand up now and leave the Senate,” Booker said on MSNBC, “and if he refuses to do that, many of us ... and I will lead that effort to make sure he’s removed from the Senate.”

Booker’s words are particularly poignant because he is not only a fellow Democrat and New Jerseyan, but because Booker has long described Menendez as a friend, ally and mentor.

Other Democratic senators calling for Menendez’s resignation include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Nevada’s own Jacky Rosen, who said in a statement that “Sen. Menendez has been found guilty of political corruption by a jury of his peers. … I believe he should resign immediately from the U.S. Senate. If he refuses to resign, he should be expelled.”

Rosen co-sponsored and introduced bipartisan legislation last year with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., that would bar members of Congress from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions if they are convicted of felonies related to their official duties. The No CORRUPTION Act passed the Senate unanimously in July but is still awaiting a hearing from the dysfunctional Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

On Thursday, Rosen and Scott renewed their call to pass the No CORRUPTION Act, releasing a statement in which Rosen said that “No member of Congress who has been convicted of corruption-related felonies during their time in office should receive a single dime from a taxpayer-funded pension. Hardworking Nevadans can’t afford their tax dollars going to line the pockets of Washington politicians who have violated the public trust.”

We agree.

Legislators are given special power and access to classified information so they can serve the interests of the country and its people, not line their own pocketbooks. Few crimes call into question a person’s ability to serve the interests of the American people as much as financial corruption. Criminal convictions related to corruption strike at the very heart of public trust. Even the mere appearance of financial impropriety, if leveraged credibly, should raise serious concerns about a legislator’s ability to effectively govern.

The Justice Department has fulfilled its duty to investigate and prosecute the case against Menendez. A jury has returned a verdict and found Menendez guilty. Now it’s time for Menendez’s colleagues to fulfill their duty to demand his resignation or force him out of office if necessary.

It’s worth noting that, as of the writing of this editorial, not a single Republican member of Congress had called for Menendez’s resignation. Perhaps it’s because they realize that by doing so they might be forced to acknowledge the inherent dangers of a Trump presidency.

The standard should be clear. No American should want a convicted felon who remains unrepentant and refuses to accept responsibility for their actions to serve in any government position. Beyond the obvious willingness to break the law, remaining in a position of responsibility exposes the felon to being compromised by our enemies. That applies to a U.S. senator or a U.S. president.

Just as the Senate should use its power to keep Menendez from continuing to hold his seat in the Senate, so too should the American people use our power to keep Donald Trump from returning to the White House.