Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., lent his credibility as a character witness on behalf of Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., during the senior senator’s corruption trial Thursday.
Booker, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., testified on behalf of his embattled colleague, remarking, “One of the best things about politics for me the last four years is I get to work with Bob Menendez.”
“Some of us forget where we come from,” Booker said. “But what I think is honorable about Bob and why he’s trustworthy is not because what he’s done for me, but because Bob has not forgotten where he comes from.”
For Booker, testifying on Menendez’s behalf was something of a risk. His fellow Garden State senator is accused of taking bribes from a wealthy friend, co-defendant Salomon Melgen, in exchange for political favors such as the use of his elected office to secure visas for Melgen’s girlfriends. In addition to testifying Thursday, Booker has generally been supportive of Menendez, even sitting front row for his trial on its first day.
If the senator is convicted, Booker’s decision to testify on Menendez’s behalf could come back to haunt his presidential prospects in 2020. The junior senator’s name is frequently floated as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and Booker himself has declined to rule out a run.
In the case that Menendez’s trial ends in a conviction, Booker will almost certainly have to grapple with their relationship if he chooses to seek the nomination.
