US Senate panel takes first step towards possible Menendez expulsion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee told Senator Bob Menendez, who was convicted of corruption last week, that it has taken the first step of a review that could end in his expulsion, the heads of the panel said on Monday.

"The Committee anticipates completing the adjudicatory review promptly," Democratic Chairman Chris Coons and Republican Vice Chairman James Lankford said in the statement.

The senator's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Menendez has remained defiant in the face of calls for his resignation, including from the governor of New Jersey, his home state, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, after he was convicted on 16 criminal counts including bribery in federal court in New York. Menendez, who has represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate since 2006, has said he will appeal the verdict.

Menendez and his wife accepted cash, gold bars and car and mortgage payments as bribes from three businessmen in exchange for steering billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt, where one of the businessmen had ties to government officials.

Menendez, a Democrat, is running for reelection as an independent. His party has nominated U.S. Representative Andy Kim to fill his seat in November.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Adler)

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