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Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania appears fixated on getting fellow Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey out of office after the Justice Department filed federal corruption charges against the latter.
On Monday, Fetterman said he sent his “ethically challenged” colleague a Cameo video from former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was expelled from Congress last week.
“I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems,” Fetterman wrote Monday in a post on the X platform. “So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice.”
Fetterman’s post contained the Cameo video from Santos, where he said, “Hey Bobby. … Look, I don’t need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away — you make ’em put up or shut up. You stand your ground, sir.”
“And don’t get bogged down by all the haters out there,” Santos added. “Stay strong. Merry Christmas.”
The Hill added: Earlier Monday, Santos launched a profile on Cameo, a platform where customers can request holiday messages, a pep talk, roasts, birthday wishes and more from a wide range of public figures. Santos, who calls himself a “Former congressional ‘Icon’” on his profile, is selling the personal videos for $200 each, an increase from his earlier $150 price tag. Fetterman’s requested Cameo video echoes his past calls for Menendez to resign in the wake of the federal criminal charges against the New Jersey Democrat.
In September, Fetterman compared Menendez to a fictional mafia family while declaring that he “needs to” resign from the chamber amid allegations of bribery and corruption.
During an interview on far-left MSNBC host Joy Reid’s program Tuesday evening, Fetterman said Menendez was like the fictional mobster Tony Soprano as he discussed gold bars found in the New Jersey senator’s possession along with wads of cash.
“Honestly, I was actually surprised that I was the first one. I mean, it’s so black and white. I mean, it’s so clear. The last time there’s ever been a man with so much cash in their home in New Jersey was Tony Soprano. You know? I mean, it’s not a— it’s not a— it’s not a close call, and if you were looking for the most incriminating kinds of evidence, nobody could even come up with gold bars in a mattress. So, and again, he’s entitled to have his day in court, but he is not entitled to remain in the Senate and he needs to go,” Fetterman said.
“Obviously, I don’t speak for anyone else in the Senate except myself, but what I can say is that, you know, he has to go,” he added.
“New Jersey is a safe, blue seat, and they have a governor ready to appoint somebody that’s ready to step in and make the kind of votes that he needs to do. And again, it’s never been about him. It’s about the Senate and the integrity, and he needs to go,” Fetterman noted further.
That same month, Menendez appeared in a federal court in Manhattan following the charges.
The Daily Caller noted: Menendez and his wife were charged with three counts each stemming from his alleged acceptance of bribes, which included stacks of cash hidden in his home, a luxury vehicle, home mortgage payments and “over one hundred thousand dollars” worth of gold bars, to aid the Egyptian government and enrich three New Jersey businessmen, according to the indictment. His wife, Nadine Menendez, also appeared in court Wednesday. Menendez immediately denied allegations, claiming that those behind the indictment campaign “simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator.”
“This would be the second time Menendez has been indicted. He stood trial several years ago but that ended in a mistrial. The New Jersey Democrat is up for reelection next year,” Politico reported.
