Branded a Felon, Menendez Sees His Political Future Fast Evaporating

Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey barreled toward a confrontation with his own party on Wednesday, as fellow senators demanded he resign from office after his conviction in a sweeping bribery scheme, or face the possibility of a rare expulsion vote.

Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, gave no indication that he was prepared to step down voluntarily. He vowed to appeal Tuesday’s guilty verdict and ignored questions about whether he would continue to serve as he faces many years in prison.

“I have never been anything but a patriot,” he told reporters in New York, warning that the ruling was so wrong it would put “at risk every member of the United States Senate.”

But even before he left the Manhattan courthouse, his path forward appeared to be rapidly crumbling. Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, who would appoint any replacement, reiterated a call for Mr. Menendez to step aside, and longtime friends in the Senate said they had given him more than a fair chance to clear his name.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader.

Though Mr. Schumer did not explicitly raise the prospect of expulsion, the bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee appeared to be moving quickly to lay the groundwork for that possibility. In a statement, its leaders said they would complete an investigation into Mr. Menendez “promptly” and would “consider the full range of disciplinary actions.”