Menendez dismisses calls to resign: ‘I’m innocent, what’s wrong with you guys’

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Tuesday insisted he’s innocent as more than a dozen of his Senate Democratic colleagues called on him to resign over last week’s indictment on bribery charges.

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday at the Senate over why he isn’t resigning, Menendez had a quick and simple retort.

“Because I’m innocent,” Menendez said in response to a question from NBC News correspondent Ryan Nobles.

“What’s wrong with you guys,” Menendez added.

In keeping with Senate Democrats’ protocol, Menendez stepped down from his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Menendez is accused of corruption and bribery, including accepting cash and gold bars in exchange for help through his influence as a senator and as chairman of his powerful committee. The indictment accused him of aiding New Jersey businessmen as well as those with connections to Egypt’s government.

He has maintained his innocence and refused to resign from the Senate.

On Tuesday, a wave of new Democratic senators joined calls for Menendez’s resignation, including his junior senator from New Jersey, Sen. Cory Booker (D). The chair of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), also called for Menendez’s resignation.

Senate Republicans have not been as quick to call for Menendez to step down, perhaps an acknowledgement of Menendez’s weakness going into the next campaign cycle. If Menendez resigned, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey would select his replacement.

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was the first New Jersey Democratic lawmaker to call for Menendez’s resignation. He also launched a primary bid to replace Menendez in the Senate.

Updated at 6:55 p.m.