US Senator Bob Menendez, ex-chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee, resigned on Tuesday after being convicted on corruption charges, including bribery and acting as an agent of the Egyptian government, after succumbing to pressure from fellow Democrats to resign, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
"I will resign as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey at the close of business on August 20, 2024," Menendez said in a letter seen by Reuters.
"Although I fully intend to appeal the jury's verdict, including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will distract it from its important work," the letter says.
New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement for Menendez, who has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006 and served as chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee before resigning after being indicted last year.
Menendez, 70, was found guilty on July 16 by a Manhattan federal court jury of all 16 felony counts he faced, including obstruction of justice, wire fraud and extortion, after a nine-week trial. The two defendants were also convicted.
A message referring to the letter was read aloud in the Senate chamber on Tuesday afternoon.
Menendez's resignation will temporarily reduce the Democratic majority in the Senate to 50-49 until Murphy's appointee is sworn in to complete the remainder of Menendez's current six-year term, which expires in January. US Democratic Party representative Andy Kim is running for the post in November, and has a chance to win in the Democratic-leaning state of New Jersey, the newspaper writes.
Many Democrats have called on Menendez to resign, including Murphy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Cory Booker, another senator from New Jersey.
Addendum
For decades, Menendez has been a strong voice in American international relations, most recently advocating for additional aid to Ukraine and Israel when Democratic President Joe Biden was pushing Congress to provide more money to foreign allies embroiled in conflicts.