CNN’s Chris Wallace Says Top Secret Briefings Show How ‘Untenable’ Menendez Staying In Senate Is

CNN anchor Chris Wallace told Abby Phillip that the uproar around Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) attendance at a classified briefing shows his continued presence in the Senate is “untenable.”

Menendez is under indictment for, among other things, acting as a foreign agent. Menendez maintains his innocence and still has security clearance to attend classified briefings — which he did this week.

On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip asked Wallace if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer should “allow this to continue given the severity of the allegations facing Menendez?”:

PHILLIP: So, Chris, I also want to get your take on this. Senator Bob Menendez, who is indicted for basically bribery charges and accused of being a foreign agent, he actually attended a classified briefing on Ukraine today, on the Hill. This is what happened when Manu Raju on Capitol Hill pressed him on this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Well, why did you go to this classified briefing?

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): Because getting an update on Ukraine is something that’s worthy as we consider the supplemental.

RAJU: You are being accused of aid ago foreign government. Why is it appropriate for you go to a classified briefing?

MENENDEZ: You know, Manu, you are going to make news. The bottom line is, I am a United States senator. I have my security credentials and an accusation is just that. It’s not proof of anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Now, he is not wrong, right? The accusation is an accusation, innocent until proven guilty. However, this is the paradox, you know, facing Senator Schumer, the majority leader in the Senate. Does he allow this to continue given the severity of the allegations facing Menendez?

WALLACE: Well, it’s interesting when Manu asked him, he said, why did you attend this briefing, because he didn’t attend a briefing on Israel, and I guess the argument was because he is alleged to have been a foreign agent for Egypt, that anything to do with the Middle East would be too hot to handle but Ukraine doesn’t have something to do with Egypt, so it is okay.

But it shows you the really untenable situation. You’re in there, more than half of the Democratic caucus, more than 7 — rather, 30 of the Senate Democrats have urged Menendez to resign, but he is still a senator. It is a presumption of innocence. It is an accusation, you know, not a conviction. So, on what grounds can you prevent him from — he stepped down as chairman, but he is still a member of the Intelligence Committee. And I guess the caucus is not ready at this point to say, no, you can’t go to briefings at all.

PHILLIP: Yes. I mean, look, these are self-governing bodies. They can do whatever they want, essentially. So, the fact that he is still in the Senate, he is still attending these briefings, that’s a choice that was made by, you know, leaders in the Senate and by his own party.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.