A senator has been accused of bribery after authorities found hundred of thousands of dollars in his home. Intercessor, what do you think?

From The Hill. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is fighting for his political life amid rising calls to resign from Democratic colleagues in the wake of a federal indictment on bribery charges.

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Menendez on Monday said he’s not going anywhere during a defiant appearance before the press, insisting he’d be exonerated.

But by 5 p.m., a second Senate Democratic colleague — Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) — said he should step down, underscoring how the charges he faces have shaken the political earth beneath him.

“The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations,” Menendez told the crowd in Union City, N.J. “I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jersey’s senior senator.”

Menendez is up for reelection next year and may need to keep his Senate seat to raise money for his political defense. …

But in running as a wounded politician, he is giving an opportunity for Republicans to pick up another Democratic seat in what should be a safe Democratic state, all while putting his colleagues on a defensive footing.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez to step down, joining a number of lawmakers in the House.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has also called on him to resign, along with at least six Democratic members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation and several top Democrats at the Statehouse in Trenton.

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) has already announced a primary challenge against the sitting senator, with others potentially set to follow suit. …

Prosecutors accuse Menendez and his wife, Nadine, of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes in exchange for using his “power and influence” to enrich a trio of New Jersey businessmen.

Making headlines were the gold bars and $480,000 in cash stuffed into envelopes and clothing that authorities said they seized from the New Jersey Democrat.

Menendez has proclaimed his innocence and attempted to explain some of the questions during the press conference. He said the reason investigators found so much cash is because he keeps it on hand for “emergencies.”

“For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” Menendez said. …

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(Excerpt from The Hill. Photo Credit: 89Stocker/Canva Pro)