New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chairman LeRoy J. Jones, Jr., is releasing the following statement regarding the federal indictment against U.S. Senator Bob Menendez that was unsealed today:

“The allegations contained in the indictment that was unsealed today, if they are proven to be true, are incredibly serious and raise many disturbing questions. Senator Menendez should be afforded the same presumption of innocence that the U.S. Constitution guarantees to all Amercians. But in the interest of ensuring that New Jerseyans continue to be granted the federal representation that they deserve, and to make sure that our party is able to keep its focus on the critical upcoming state legislative elections in November, I believe that the best course of action is for Senator Menendez to resign so that he can focus his full attention on his legal defense.”