Ocasio-Cortez says New Jersey's Menendez should resign after indictment

Washington — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the latest Democratic lawmaker to call for the resignation of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez after his indictment on federal bribery charges, saying he should step down over the "extremely serious" allegations.

"I think the situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Sen. Menendez to resign in this moment," Ocasio-Cortez told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday. "Consistency matters. It shouldn't matter if it's a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress."

An indictment unsealed on Friday charged Menendez, his wife and three New Jersey business associates with various crimes related to an alleged bribery scheme. Prosecutors said the Menendezes received hundreds of thousands of dollars and lavish luxury gifts in exchange for the senator wielding his influence to benefit the businessmen and the government of Egypt.