Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who was convicted on 16 felony charges one week ago, will resign his seat effective Aug. 20, The Washington Post reported.
Senator Menendez told his staff today of his plan to exit the upper chamber of Congress, sources told Tyler Pager of The Washington Post. The New Jersey Senator was convicted on 16 counts, among them bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice and extortion, by a New Jersey jury on July 16, the climax of years of legal battles for the three-term senator.
Menendez has faced calls to resign since the conviction. This included powerful congressional Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded his resignation just hours following the jury’s decision. It took a week for Menendez to make an official decision, but he eventually gave in. (RELATED: REPORT: Harris VP Vetting Is Underway. It Excludes One Key Name)
Sen. Bob Menendez will resign his Senate seat, effective Aug. 20, his staff were told today, per two sources
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) July 23, 2024
The indictment claimed that Menendez and his wife Nadine agreed to several hundred thousand dollars worth of bribes in exchange for the Senator’s use of his influence to protect and financially benefit three New Jersey businessmen and promote the interests of Egypt’s government. These events happened between 2018-2022, according to the indictment.
The indictment accused the couple if receiving bribes including “cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value.”
Mrs. Menendez’s trial was delayed indefinitely to allow her to recover from breast cancer surgery, CBS reported. Senator Menendez’s sentencing is currently set for Oct. 29, according to the outlet.
.Menendez was also indicted on bribery charges in 2015, alleging that he accepted large sums of money from a Democratic donor for political favors. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and the trial ended in a mistrial, according to CBS.
Menendez’s legal team plans to appeal the verdict, citing “grave” issues with the trial, according to one of the senator’s attorneys, Politico reported. His legal counsel may attempt to question whether Menendez accepted gifts in exchange for “official acts,” according to the outlet. The team also has optimism that the Supreme Court may dismiss the case as they have with many high-profile corruption cases in the past, the outlet noted.
The senior senator from New Jersey’s seat is currently being battled for between Democratic Representative Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw. Menendez had been running as an independent before his resignation. He has not announced whether he will exit the race.
