New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez set to resign on Aug. 20 after being convicted on federal bribery charges
NEW JERSEY -- Sen. Bob Menendez will resign effective Aug. 20. This comes a week after he was convicted on federal bribery charges.
Menendez had previously refuted reports that he was going to step down, but his resignation letter was read in the Senate chamber on Tuesday afternoon by presiding Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont.
Sen. Menendez Resignation Letter by CBSNewYork Scribd on Scribd
A successor, only set to serve the remainder of Menendez's term through Jan. 3, 2025, is not expected to be announced this week, according to one of the people familiar with the plans.
Tuesday afternoon, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement, "I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to the United States Senate to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve."
Sen. Cory Booker said he has told Murphy he wants Andy Kim, who won the Democratic primary, to be that lawmaker.
"I think we are heading towards the next senator to be my partner is really going to be Andy Kim. I think this is the governor's choice. I have talked to him a bit about it and I know he'll make a wise choice for someone to fill that spot, but Andy Kim is the future of New Jersey. He's a next-generation leader," Booker said.
However, Curtis Bashaw, Kim's Republican opponent in the upcoming election, said in a statement it should be left up to the voters to decide who takes over for Menendez.
"As Gov. Murphy moves to appoint a replacement to his seat, I once again call on him to let voters make the ultimate decision of who should hold this seat in November's election. The governor should appoint a caretaker to this seat, as is the long-standing New Jersey tradition, and not give either candidate the advantage of incumbency in this election," Bashaw said, in part.
Menendez's troubled past led to his downfall
Menendez had been facing intense pressure to resign from fellow Democrats, who threatened to call for a vote to expel him if he refused to do so. Murphy and Booker were among those who called on Menendez to step down. In fact, New Jersey Democrats had been calling for Menendez to resign ever since he was indicted in September 2023.
The bribery offenses against Menendez, New Jersey's senior U.S. senator, stemmed from a years-long public-corruption investigation by the Justice Department.
In its indictment, the government claimed Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using his power and influence as a U.S. senator to enrich and protect three New Jersey businessmen and benefit Egypt's government from roughly 2018 to 2022.
Menendez was convicted on 16 felony counts -- including bribery, extortion and acting as a foreign agent -- on July 16. He pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence. Menendez has said he plans to appeal. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29.
He was previously indicted in 2015 on roughly a dozen charges, including bribery and conspiracy, following accusations he accepted gifts from a wealthy Democratic donor in exchange for political favors. The case ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict despite deliberating for more than a week.
Menendez was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2006 by then-Gov. John Corzine, who resigned the seat after being elected governor.
The trial for Nadine Menendez was postponed indefinitely as she recovers from breast cancer surgery.
Where Menendez got his start, disappointment reigns
Menendez began his political career in Union City, New Jersey, first serving on the board of education and then as mayor.
Last week, he told CBS New York's Christine Sloan, who has covered his career for more than 30 years, he felt that he was being pressured into issuing a statement right after his trial on whether he would step down and last Wednesday refuted claims that he was.
But that all changed on Tuesday.
In Union City, where he was once a beloved political leader, people who once rooted for him are now saying it's about time he stepped down.
"He should have resigned way sooner, like once I remember the news broke that they went into his house," said Lina Sanchez, who grew up in Union City.
"I think it's so disappointing that we have a leader that has engaged in bribery. Personally, I am disappointed. I met him once. Our kids went to the same private school," added Patricia Spross, who lives in Bergen County.