UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is rejecting calls to resign, saying that nearly half a million dollars in cash found in his home was from personal savings, not from bribes. He predicted on Monday that he would be exonerated in his federal bribery case and would still be “New Jersey’s senior senator.” An indictment alleges Menendez took cash, gold bars and a luxury car in exchange for using his office to influence policy. Democratic Party support for Menendez in the state where he’s held office for nearly five decades has significantly eroded. Menendez has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight charges that he illegally benefited by using his office to influence prosecutions against his associates and by acting on behalf of Egypt. (Photo: AP)