Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP / Getty Images
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., announced Saturday that he will challenge Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) in the 2024 primary, after Menéndez was accused of a wide-ranging bribery and corruption scheme and of su refusal to resign from his position in Congress.
Kim is among a growing number of lawmakers who have called for Menendez to resign after an indictment unsealed Friday alleged he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold bars, in exchange for exerting influence for the benefit of businessmen. in New Jersey and the Egyptian government.
“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to come forward against him. It’s not something I expected to do, but New Jersey deserves better. “We cannot endanger the Senate or compromise our integrity,” Kim posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Kim has represented New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district, which includes the eastern suburbs of Trenton, since 2019. He won re-election last November by more than 10 percentage points.
Kim is a member of the Progressive and Asian Pacific American caucuses in Congress. She also serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.
Kim made headlines following the January 6, 2021 insurrection after he was photographed cleaning up debris and trash left at the Capitol by rioters who ransacked the building hours earlier. He later donated the suit he was wearing that day to the Smithsonian.
Menendez was first appointed to the United States Senate in 2006 to fill the vacancy left by Jon Corzine, who had been elected governor of New Jersey. He was re-elected in 2018 with 54% of the vote. Before becoming a senator, Menendez represented New Jersey’s 13th Congressional District.
On Friday, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, were charged with crimes related to bribery and corruption.
The indictment alleges that the couple accepted bribes, including gold, cash and mortgage payments, in exchange for the senator’s influence.
Menendez, 69, temporarily resigned from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Friday, but he flatly refused to resign from his senatorial position and said he intends to run for re-election in 2024.
Many New Jersey Democrats quickly called for the senator’s resignation, including Governor Phil Murphy, who said: “The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise Senator Menendez’s ability to effectively represent the people of our state.”
Governor Murphy said would have to name a senator to replace Menéndez if he resigned.
Keep reading:
– The governor of New Jersey calls for the resignation of Senator Robert Menéndez, accused of corruption
– Bob Menéndez had to leave the presidency of the Senate Committee due to accusations of bribery for thousands of dollars
– The more than $480,000 dollars and gold bars that were found in the home of Senator Bob Menéndez and his wife