Democratic US Senator Bob Menendez has reportedly informed his allies of his intention to resign from Congress following his conviction on corruption charges.
Menendez has served New Jersey in Congress for over 30 years, initially as a House representative from 1993 to 2006, and subsequently in the Senate.
A New York jury on Monday found the 70-year-old former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee guilty of 16 federal charges, including accepting bribes of cash, gold, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen, and acting as an overseas agent for Egypt.
Following the verdict, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, fellow New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and the state’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy urged Menendez to resign.
“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer stated.
Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s governor, who was among the first Democrats to call for Menendez’s resignation, will appoint a senator to temporarily fill Menendez’s term, which ends in January 2025.
Following the guilty verdict, Menendez told reporters, “I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country.”
Menendez has maintained a defiant stance since his initial indictment in September last year.
The senator was tried alongside New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were also convicted on all charges. All three pleaded not guilty.
Another businessman pleaded guilty before the trial and testified against Menendez and the other defendants.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, was also charged, although her trial has been postponed indefinitely due to her advanced stage breast cancer treatment, as announced on Tuesday.
