Sen. Menendez faces fellow senators in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WABC) -- One day after facing a federal judge on corruption and bribery charges, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez faced his fellow democratic senators in Washington D.C.
Many of his colleagues, including Cory Booker, who serves as New Jersey's junior senator and has worked alongside Menendez for nearly a decade, are calling for his resignation.
On Thursday, a closed-door luncheon was held with the party caucus in the Mansfield Room, providing a chance for the senator to hold onto those members who have not called on him to step down.
Menendez continued to emphasize that he is staying put.
"I will continue to cast votes on behalf of the people of New Jersey as I have for 18 years and I am sure when they need those votes, they'll be looking forward for me to cast those votes," Menendez said.
Democratic leaders have been put on the spot. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the fate of Menendez will be left to a jury.
"It's hard for me to see how the senator can effectively at this moment represent the people he's served for decades in New Jersey," Jeffries said.
On Thursday, Senator Bed Cardin of Maryland was named as a replacement for the Menendez as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Many have been waiting to see if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would join the growing list of political leaders calling for his resignation, but he has not gone as far as asking Menendez to bow out of office.
As for legal proceedings, the New Jersey Senator and his wife, Nadine, who both pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, walked through a media circus after appearing in federal court in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday.
The couple has been accused of bribery for sharing secrets with a foreign government. Prosecutors allege Menendez took bribes of cash, gold bars, and a $60,000 Mercedes for his wife in exchange for sensitive information shared with the Egyptian government.
Two of his co-defendants are Egyptian Americans, the other is Hispanic. All have entered not guilty pleas.
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