Dem
51
GOP
49
On Wednesday, Rep. "George Santos" (R-NY) saw his legal problems deepen. On Thursday, it was Sen. Robert Menendez' (D-NJ) turn. In a superseding indictment, the federal government charged the Senator with conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), undertaking, in his official capacity, actions meant to aid the Egyptian government.
The indictment is not short on specifics. For example, there was an incident where the Egyptian military caused injuries to an American tourist named April Corley, while also killing Corley's boyfriend. While the matter was investigated, the Senate put a hold on $300 million in aid that had been earmarked for Egypt. Menendez, then serving as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took steps to get the hold released. If the price of that was a new Mercedes for Menendez' wife, plus a couple of gold bars, that's a very good return-on-investment indeed.
Menendez was forced to give up chairing the Foreign Relations Committee when he was indicted, per Senate rules, but he's still on the committee, at least for now. The Senate hasn't passed a new organizing resolution removing Dianne Feinstein from her committees and adding LaPhonza Butler to hers. When that happens, which it surely will soon, there has to be serious consideration given to kicking Menendez off Foreign Relations entirely, right? And then, after that, Democrats will have to think long and hard about ejecting him from the Senate entirely. (Z)