What if Menendez resigns or is expelled from the Senate?
Don’t count on it happening. Senator Bob Mendendez as already survived a recall effort, an FBI investigation while Chris Christie was U.S. Attorney, Tom Kean JR and Joe Kyrillos. There’s little reason, so far, to think Menendez won’t survive his latest scandals involving illegal campaign donations and gifts, a sex offender illegal immigrant intern and allegations of engaging with prostitutes and underage girls in the Dominican Republic.Why would Menedez resign? It’s not as if he tweeted nude pictures of himself, or anything as bad as that.
For a senator to be expelled requires a 2/3 vote in the Senate. The Senate Select Committee on Ethics has not responded to State Senator Sam Thompson’s complaint about Menendez filed last November. There is no reason to think the Democratically controlled Senate will even consider censuring Menendez, much less expelling him, unless the FBI’s current investigation results in an indictment and/or conviction.
But if Menendez’s seat in the Senate were to become vacant this year, it would put New Jersey politics into a fabulous turmoil that would be fun to cover and generate unprecedented blog traffic. “Peter Williams,” if you’re reading, please cooperate with the FBI and bring the Domincan girls with you to the USofA!
Posted: January 31st, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2013 Gubernatorial Politics, 2014 U.S. Senate race, Bob Menendez | Tags: "Peter Williams", Bob Menendez, Chris Christie, Cory Booker, Dr. Salomon Malgen, FBI, Frank Lautenberg, Frank Pallone, Joe Kyrillos, Menendez corruption, Menendez sex scandal, NJ State Senator Sam Thompson, Richard Codey, Sam Thompson, Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Sheila Oliver, Steve Sweeney, Strom Thurmond, Tom Kean JR, Weekend at Bernie's | 3 Comments »