High-ranking Sen. Dick Durbin calls for Menendez resignation

Majority Whip and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) has become the highest-ranking Democrat senator to call for the resignation of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was indicted last week on bribery charges.

Durbin posted Wednesday on X, "Leaders in New Jersey, including the Governor and my Senate colleague Cory Booker, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve. He should step down."

As recently as Sunday, Durbin had refused to say whether Menendez should resign, calling it Menendez's decision and a decision for the people of New Jersey.

He called the charges against Menendez as serious as the charges facing former President Donald Trump but said that all of them need to be "proven under the rule of law."

So far, Menendez is refusing to resign and denying all of the charges against him.

He beat a previous indictment on similar charges in 2018.