Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, has recently expressed his disapproval of Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, also a Democrat, amidst ongoing bribery allegations involving foreign governments. Fetterman has been vocal about his confusion regarding why Menendez continues to participate in government affairs and hasn’t been dismissed from his position.
These comments from Fetterman arose following Menendez’s attendance at a classified briefing on Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as reported by The Daily Caller. “He needs to go,” Fetterman stated emphatically.
Fetterman is supporting Representative Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, in the upcoming Senate race. Kim, along with several other Democrats, has urged Menendez to resign.
Menendez and his wife Nadine are seeking separate trials in response to charges that allege they assisted three businessmen from New Jersey in exchange for cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle.
CNN’s Manu Raju reported on platform X that this was the second time Menendez attended a classified briefing following his indictments. Menendez relinquished his position as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September and was present at a classified briefing on Ukraine on Thursday, having previously attended a similar briefing in November.
When questioned about his participation in these meetings, Menendez told reporters to refer to his previous responses, as noted by Raju.
Maintaining his innocence and having pleaded not guilty to the bribery charges, Menendez describes the accusations as a “sensational narrative” fabricated by the U.S. government. He asserts there is no evidence of him receiving gifts in exchange for advocating for Qatar.
In November, during a separate classified briefing on Ukraine, Menendez emphasized his right to attend the meeting, citing his security clearance and status as a senator.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, also a Democrat, has not barred him from attending such classified briefings. “The bottom line is, I’m a United States senator,” Menendez said to Raju in November. “I have my security credentials, and an accusation is just that: it’s not proof of anything.”
Fetterman introduced a resolution in November to exclude Menendez from classified briefings and, in a December interview, criticized the apparent double standard in Congress’s treatment of former GOP Representative George Santos of New York and Menendez.
