Former President Donald Trump called on all Senate Democrats to resign following the federal indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) last week, claiming that they all knew about the alleged bribes he took.
The indictment, unsealed on Friday, says that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
Menendez faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of the charges, which include conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
“Senate Democrats should all resign based on Senator Bob Menendez!” Trump wrote on social media. “They all knew what was going on, and the way he lived.”
Trump then asked why the FBI did not raid Senate Democrats’ homes, though agents did raid Menendez’s home.
During the raid, FBI agents recovered “cash, gold, [a] luxury vehicle, and home furnishings” that were part of the alleged bribery scheme, according to the indictment.
Trump then said that what President Joe Biden had in “some of his many homes” was likely worse than what Menendez had in his home. Biden and his son Hunter have been accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a Ukrainian energy executive in exchange taking action as then-vice president in the Obama administration.
“I wonder how much they got paid for Rigging the Election? Menendez is one of many, a small timer at that,” Trump said. “EVERY DEMOCRAT SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE! Our Border’s are Broken, our Election’s are Rigged.”
Menendez was previously indicted by the DOJ under the Obama administration in a case that alleged that he took bribes from Dr. Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida doctor, in exchange for political favors. Menendez was never convicted due to a hung jury — while a judge acquitted him of some charges — and the DOJ under Trump dropped the case.
Melgen was sentenced to 17 years in prison for after being convicted on 67 counts of health care fraud that totaled $42 million.
Trump later commuted Melgen’s prison sentence after “Menendez urged him to grant clemency to his old friend,” the New York Post reported.