The Senate Ethics Committee hasn’t indicated it will take swift action against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) while his pending federal charges continue to unfold. But the possibility of committee work may keep its members from commenting on the indictment.
Who’s on the sleepy (and notoriously slow-moving) committee?
- Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair
- James Lankford (R-Okla.), vice chair
- Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
- Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
Backdrop: The committee released a statement Friday that it “does not comment on matters pending before the Committee or matters that may come before the Committee” and that it would “yield investigation into matters where there is an active and ongoing criminal investigation or proceeding” to avoid interfering. Translation: Don’t expect swift action from them on Menendez.
It’s not Menendez’s first brush with the committee. It “severely admonished” New Jersey’s senior senator in April 2018 in the aftermath of his first brush with a federal indictment. That letter came several months after the Justice Department dropped those charges against Menendez, offering a window into the glacial pace of the committee’s work.
