NJ Spotlight News
Will Menendez indictment cost Latino support?
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 4m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
Leaders of NJ Latino organizations have not rushed to join calls for senator to resign
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.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Will Menendez indictment cost Latino support?
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 4m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
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.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch NJ Spotlight News
NJ Spotlight News is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAfter his indictment, Senator Menendez not only declared innocence, but he claimed he's being targeted because of racial bias against Latinos.
He's the first Latino to ever lead the high powered Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he's been a longtime advocate for the community.
Well, despite the stunning corruption allegations against him, it appears many of the supporters in his Latino base say they're disheartened.
But they're stopping short of calling for his resignation.
Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.
Now, let me just say a few words in Spanish went off the.
Air when Senator Bob Menendez delivered a defiant defense against his recent federal corruption indictment.
He spoke in English and Spanish over decades of political service.
The son of Cuban immigrants never lost his focus on Jersey's Latino constituency, and they've shown unwavering support.
This week, many refused to echo demands from leading Democrats for their favorite son to step down.
From our perspective, any calls for resignation today or, you know, in the last few days are premature.
That's what we think.
Federally, we don't have any representation.
But Bob, at this point.
Right.
So we're obviously not going to jump on the bandwagon of, hey, let's just, you know, ask this person to resign because at the end of the day, it doesn't do our community any good to be fighting each other.
New Jersey's Latino Action Network, along with the Latino Coalition, says their community finds these allegations disturbing and they merit a thorough and fair investigation.
But the accused has stated with some bitterness, it's not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat.
I'm not going anywhere.
That's getting some push back.
I don't see anything today that indicates that this is, you know, ethnically, politically motivated.
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 that he personally stashed all that cash because of cultural distrust in government?
Maybe my parents, although they make minimum wage, they always keep kept a significant amount of money in their house.
They were distrustful of the banks.
Latinos comprise some 23% of Jersey's population, and an ugly trial carries significant political risk.
You should probably really think about what's in the best interest of the state of New Jersey.
Is that going to be a distraction to him?
You know, and how is that going to affect us?
Nobody is putting their neck on the line for him.
And I think it's a real indication of of how egregious the charges are, how there's really no defending him.
Even among his friends, among Latinos, Latinos who are trying to hold and amass political power, this is a big loss.
Riders Michael Rasmussen points to a new snap poll.
This data not broken down by race or ethnicity showing Menendez with a scant 8% favorable rating in New Jersey versus 74% unfavorable, the rest unsure.
It's from VoteVets, which supports Congressman Andy Kim, who launched a primary challenge against Menendez just hours after the indictment was unsealed.
That's why he's so sad in such a difficult moment for Latinos, because it's bigger than him.
Is is about it their entire community and their issues.
Advocate Patricia Campos medina says those issues run from health equity to housing to immigration and more.
She respects the Menendez legacy and hope she weighs that carefully.
But she sees the challengers lining up.
And we are very carefully positioning the interests of the Latino community as we think about the next ten, 20, 25 years.
She'd like to see a Latina representing New Jersey in Congress.
I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.
Black Poster Project remembers people lost to addiction
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 4m 15s | The goals of the project are education and healing (4m 15s)
DEP commissioner touts state funding for EVs, infrastructure
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 3m 50s | Commissioner Shawn LaTourette says up to $12K in state, federal incentives to buy a new EV (3m 50s)
GOP debate: Christie hits at Trump, few signs of poll rise
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 4m 26s | Former President Trump did not take part in the debate (4m 26s)
Hanover school board scraps parental notification policy
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 1m 18s | Such policies are at the center of debate over parental rights (1m 18s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 9/28/2023 | 4m 53s | Sen. Menendez: From smalltime NJ politics to bigtime political controversy (4m 53s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- News and Public Affairs
Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.
- News and Public Affairs
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.
Support for PBS provided by:
NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS