Murphy and Kim: Report that Menendez gold bars were registered to Daibes demonstrates need to replace him

Two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates said that a stunning WNBC-TV report that some of the gold bars seized by the FBI during the search of Bob Menendez’s home had belonged to his alleged briber underscores the reason why New Jersey needs to make a change.

First Lady Tammy Murphy and Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who are challenging Menendez in the primary, pointed to allegations reported by Jonathan Dienst that the indicted three-term senator’s god bars had identical serial numbers to those Daibes identified as stolen from his home during a 2013 armed robbery and late recovered.

“As disturbing details continue to unfold in this case, one thing is crystal clear — we need new representation in Washington,” Murphy told the New Jersey Globe on Tuesday.  “Communities up and down the state deserve a Senator who is focused on the big issues affecting our families — abortion, gun safety, affordability — and has the resolve to make significant strides for the benefit of all New Jerseyans.”

Kim suggested that new evidence of Menendez’s corruption affirms the reason he got into the race.

“The more we learn about these charges, the more we see the critical need to restore integrity to our politics,” Kim said in a social media post.  “The people in New Jersey deserve a Senator who is committed to serving them.”

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment on September 22 accusing Menendez of accepting bribes.  They later added charges that he illegally acted as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government.

Menendez has not said if he will seek re-election next year, but most of the state’s top Democratic leaders have called for him to step down, and his approval rating is under 10%.

His son, Rep. Robert J. Menendez (D-Jersey City), who recently received support from party leaders for a second term in his 8th district seat, is expected to endorse Murphy for Senate regardless of his father’s plans.