Senator Schumer stopped short of calling for the resignation of Senator Menendez, who was indicted last week on corruption charges, saying that “we’ll see what happens” after the embattled senator, who pleaded not guilty in court today, addresses the Democratic conference Thursday.

Mr. Schumer’s remarks come as the number two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin of Illinois, joined the growing chorus of critics suggesting Mr. Mendendez resign, saying “he should step down,” following the stunning indictment of the senior senator from New Jersey last week. 

Federal prosecutors accused Mr. Menendez of, among other crimes, taking bribes from a Halal meat exporter linked to his new wife, Nadine, in exchange for using his office to benefit the meat exporter and the Egyptian government. The senator entered his not guilty plea at federal court at lower Manhattan on Wednesday.

Prosecutors released photos of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash found stuffed in clothes’ pockets in the Menendezes’ New Jersey residence, along with multiple gold bars. 

Ms. Menendez, who also faces charges along with some of the couple’s business associates, is accused of buying a Mercedes-Benz with some of her ill-gotten gains.

Mr. Schumer told reporters that “like you, I was just deeply disappointed, disturbed when I read the indictment,” adding that “I’ve known Senator Menendez a very long time, and it was truly, truly upsetting.”

“But we all know that Senators — for senators there’s a much much higher standard, and clearly when you read the indictment Senator Menendez fell way way below that standard,” Mr. Schumer said. “Tomorrow, he will address the Democratic Caucus, and we’ll see what happens after that.”

When pressed by a reporter on the topic, Mr. Schumer repeated himself, saying, “As I said, tomorrow, he will address our caucus and we’ll see what will happen after that.”

Though Mr. Schumer stopped short of calling on Mr. Menendez to resign, his repeated reference to tomorrow’s address could foreshadow a coming announcement from Mr. Menendez. Despite his defiant tone since the indictment, the Senate is becoming a more hostile environment for Mr. Menendez every day.

As of Wednesday, 30 Democratic Senators have called on Mr. Menendez to step down. On Tuesday, only 18 Democratic senators had called on him to resign. So far, no Republicans have called for his resignation.

Senator Murray, who joined Mr. Schumer at Wednesday’s press conference, is one of the latest senators to call for Mr. Menendez’s resignation, saying that the indictment is “extremely serious and the details released are deeply disturbing.”

“If Senator Menendez refuses to resign, I encourage the Senate Ethics Committee to open an investigation into this, separate from the ongoing criminal case,” Ms. Murray said in a tweet.

Mr. Schumer’s reluctance to explicitly call for Mr. Menendez’s resignation, even if he has been pressuring him to resign behind the scenes, marks a change in tactics compared to the last Democratic senator who faced a scandal.

In 2017, Mr. Schumer joined his colleagues in calling on Senator Franken to resign after he was accused of sexual misconduct, though, unlike Mr. Menendez, he was never accused of criminal behavior.

“I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately,” Mr. Schumer said at the time.

Should Mr. Menendez resign, Governor Murphy will be responsible for appointing a successor to fill Mr. Menendez’s spot between his resignation and the next election for his seat, which is in November of 2024.

Mr. Menendez has not yet officially said if he plans to run for re-election. However, Mr. Murphy’s wife and the First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy, is reportedly considering a run for public office.

She would face at least one other candidate, Congressman Andy Kim, who is already seeking the office, in the Democratic Primary. Mr. Menendez’s woes could give New Jersey Republicans their best chance in years at winning a Senate seat in the Garden State.