 after he was convicted of bribery charges this month the ethics panel could recommend that menendez be censured or expelled which would put maximum pressure on the senator to either resign or it could pave the way for the senate to hold a vote on his expulsion expulsion requires a two-thirds vote for the senate to expel a member a new jersey jury found menendez guilty of accepting bribes of gold and cash from three new jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent