Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) expressed his lack of surprise regarding the House vote to expel former Representative George Santos (R-NY). However, Fetterman shifted the focus to what he considers more pressing concerns—corruption allegations against Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
In an appearance on “The View,” Fetterman stated, “We have a colleague in the Senate that actually does much more sinister and serious kinds of things.” He emphasized that if Santos is to be expelled, the same standard should apply to Senator Menendez. Fetterman raised questions about Menendez’s allegiance to America in light of the corruption allegations against him.
While acknowledging that Santos’ list of lies was “almost funny,” Fetterman argued that Menendez’s situation is far more serious. He asserted, “If you are going to expel Santos, how can you allow somebody like Menendez to remain in the Senate?”
Fetterman went on to express his view that Menendez, indicted on bribery and corruption charges in September, appears to prioritize interests outside of New Jersey. He stated, “Menendez, I think, is really a senator for Egypt, you know, not New Jersey. So I really think he needs to go, and it’s especially kind of strange that if Santos is not allowed to remain in the House, you know, someone like that [is].”
Menendez, along with his second wife and three associates, faces charges of bribery and conspiring to act as foreign agents for Egypt. The indictment, issued in September, alleges that federal agents discovered gold bars and nearly $500,000 in cash, deemed as bribes, during a raid of Menendez’s home in June 2022.
Despite stepping down from his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez has refused to resign from the Senate and has not ruled out the possibility of running for re-election next year. Fetterman, along with other Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has called on Menendez to relinquish his Senate seat. The ongoing debate surrounding these issues is likely to persist as the situation unfolds.