Menendez should not knuckle under, resign under pressure
Here we go again.
In the wake of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez being indicted on federal bribery charges, the cacophony of politicians calling for his resignation grows ever louder.
But since he is innocent until proven guilty, it begs the question as to why some are urging him to step down.
Here’s a look at the senator’s situation:
First, I disagree with Menendez on virtually every issue, but who cares? Politics should be totally irrelevant.
Second, politicians should not call on elected officials to resign, for two critically important reasons:
• It is not their place. Sure, what they perceive as political baggage may hurt their party, but politics should never enter the equation. A lawmaker is accountable to only one entity: the electorate. And it is they, not political leaders, who decide whether an elected official is fit for office.
• Unproven allegations should never rise to the level of demanding a politician resign. The Founding Fathers came up with an ingenuous mechanism for removing officials from office: elections, where voters decide whether leaders have earned a return ticket. It’s high time that selfrighteous politicians re-learn Civics 101 and stop trying to usurp power from the people.
Some pols calling for Menendez’ resignation are apparently doing so to ensure that Garden State residents are effectively represented. How thoughtful.
That said, how being under indictment negatively impacts a senator’s ability to do his day-to-day job remains unclear to me. Can he not propose legislation? Pull a voting lever? Advocate issues and co-sponsor legislation? Of course he can.
And a senator facing charges in no way affects the ability of a professional and highly competent staff to do its job.
With that in mind, there exists another, less-altruistic possibility for resignation calls: politics, especially
Chris Freind
given that Menendez is up for re-election next year.
If that’s the case, it would be refreshing to have Democratic pols be more upfront in their motivations: “Our majority is razor-thin, and the 2024 Senate electoral map doesn’t favor us, so we can’t afford to lose a seat that is reliably Democratic.
“Since serious allegations will likely cast a dark pall over Bob Menendez, he should, for the good of the party and advancement of Democratic polices, resign now so that our Democratic governor can immediately appoint another Dem and strengthen our hand in Jersey.”
Obviously, this column would still disagree with that viewpoint, but at least it would offer transparency.
Over the years, I have defended people from all walks of life, and all political persuasions, who were often criticized before all facts were known and a clear picture emerged.
That’s not self-aggrandizing sentiment, but adherence to a value system that is not just rooted in fairness, but our collective self-interest. After all, if something unjust happens to your neighbor or political opponent, it can certainly happen to you.
What would happen if Menendez did resign amid the pressure, and was subsequently found not guilty? It’s not like he could just regain his Senate seat.
And would those who called for him to step aside apologize? Would there be any regrets? And would it really matter?
Let’s also remember that Menendez has been down this road before.
His 2017 trial on federal corruption charges resulted in a hung jury, with the Justice Department choosing not to retry the case. What if he had resigned before that trial?
Again, the point is not to litigate the current case or compare the merits of both indictments, but to call for elected officials to stop interfering in the people’s business.
In the same way, efforts to keep Donald Trump off ballots in 2024 by invoking the Fourteenth Amendment — which disqualifies citizens from holding elective office if they took an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against it — are a head scratcher, since he has not been convicted of any such thing.
People are free to believe what they want, but unless one is convicted in a court of law, it’s my opinion that restricting ballot access should be off the table.
Menendez deserves his day in court, without pressure to resign. In that regard, here’s hoping we always rise above the urge to judge before all facts are known.
Otherwise, America’s rights may begin to bob in the wind.