Democratic senators are expressing willingness to expel Senator Bob Menendez if he is convicted in his corruption trial, while House and Senate leaders are being cautious around their indicted colleagues. Menendez is facing charges of abusing his office to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar, while Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas recently pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges. The Democratic leaders in the House are facing a dilemma as they decide how to handle Cuellar, who is running for reelection in a seat that could potentially switch to the GOP.
Many Democratic leaders who called for the expulsion of Rep. George Santos before his trial on fraud and money laundering charges are now hesitating to ask Cuellar to resign. Rep. Dan Goldman explained his decision not to call for Cuellar’s resignation, citing the difference between admitting to misconduct like Santos did and merely being indicted like Cuellar. Rep. Robert Garcia, who was involved in the push to oust Santos, emphasized the seriousness of Cuellar’s case but stated that they should wait for the legal process to play out before taking action.
House Democratic leaders are also refraining from calling on Cuellar to resign, with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Pete Aguilar avoiding direct answers on their support for Cuellar’s reelection bid. They are planning to wait until the conclusion of Cuellar’s case before making any decisions. In the Senate, Menendez could face expulsion if convicted, which would make him one of only 16 senators to be expelled in history. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to comment on whether he would support expulsion for Menendez if he is convicted, but other senators expressed varying levels of openness to the possibility.
Senator Jon Tester stated that a conviction in Menendez’s trial would lead to changes in his position, while Senators Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown are waiting for the trial to conclude before taking a stance on expulsion. Senator Michael Bennet believes Menendez should be expelled if convicted, while Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for his resignation but was cautious about discussing potential expulsion. The various Democratic senators are navigating the complexities of handling their indicted colleagues, weighing the legal process against the potential political implications of their decisions.
