Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was found guilty on all 16 felony charges by a federal jury after using his power to benefit foreign governments and American businessmen in exchange for “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes.

Key Details: In 2023, Menendez stepped down from chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment. The charges alleged that he had accepted bribes from Egyptian officials, disclosed sensitive information to them, and used his leadership postion to influence policy for their benefit. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges. His sentence could include decades of prison time.

For Context: Moments after the jury's verdict was announced, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on Menendez to resign, joining many top New Jersey Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker and Gov. Phil Murphy, who made the call months earlier. After the conviction, Murphy went further, calling for his expulsion from the Senate should he refuse to resign.

How the Media Covered It: Left-leaning outlets featured more prominently the calls from various Democrats for Menendez to resign. Daily Signal (Right bias) highlighted the story of federal agents searching a Menendez property and discovering over $480,000 in cash, a luxury vehicle, and over $100,000 in gold bars.