Democratic senators hesitant to join Fetterman in demanding Bob Menendez's resignation

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has called for Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to resign after bombshell bribery claims, but his Democratic colleagues are more cautious.

Three Democratic senators criticized Menendez, who was recently indicted on broad corruption charges, on Sunday news programs but did not call for him to resign from the Senate, where Democrats have a small majority.

Menendez chaired the Foreign Relations Committee until Friday, while Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called the charges "devastating."

Friday saw the indictment of Menendez and his wife for bribery, honest services fraud, and extortion. The indictment claims they got “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value.”

According to the indictment, federal authorities searched his Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, house with a warrant and found over $480,000 in cash, “much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe.”

Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to demand for Menendez's resignation Saturday. “He's entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he shouldn't continue to influence national policy, especially given the serious and detailed charges," Fetterman said.

Menendez denied wrongdoing and stated Friday night, "I'm not going anywhere."

Sunday's New Jersey Globe, citing a person engaged in the preparations, said that Menendez will hold a news conference Monday in Hudson County, New Jersey, where he began his political career.

Gov. Phil Murphy and other Democrats in Menendez's home state have called for his resignation. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., also wants him to quit and promised to run against Menendez on Saturday.