Over decades of political service, Sen. Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, never lost his focus on New Jersey’s Latino constituency, and in return, was given its unwavering support. This week, many in that constituency refused to echo demands from leading Democrats for their favorite son to step down in the wake of a criminal indictment on corruption charges.
“So, from our perspective, any calls for resignation today or … in the last few days are premature. That’s what we think,” said Lazaro Cardenas, deputy director of the Latino Coalition of New Jersey.
“Federally, we don’t have any representation but Bob at this point, right?” said Javier Robles, president of Latino Action Network. “So we’re obviously not going to jump on the bandwagon … because at the end of the day, it doesn’t do our community any good to be fighting each other.”
The allegations against Menendez are disturbing and merit a thorough and fair investigation, according to the Latino Coalition and Latino Action Network. But Latino advocates say Menendez deserves his day in court, noting the senator’s first corruption trial ended in a hung jury. But this time, the evidence looks damning.
Will a jury believe the senator’s assertion he personally stashed cash in his home because of cultural distrust in government? Maybe, said Cardenas, who noted, “My parents, although they make minimum wage, they always kept a significant amount of money in their house. They were distrustful of the banks.”
The Menendez indictment represents “a difficult moment for Latinos because it’s bigger than him. It is about the entire community and our issues,” said Patricia Campos-Medina, president of Latina Civic Action. She said those issues run from health equity to housing to immigration and more. Campos-Medina said she respects the Menendez legacy and hopes he weighs that carefully.
