Influential U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has announced his resignation after being convicted for bribery and serving as a foreign agent.
The New Jersey Democrat, once head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had been convicted on all 16 counts of bribery on July 16, including accepting gold bars and helping the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
Mr. Menendez resigned on July 23, after the Senate Ethics Committee announced it was launching a review into ethics violations, which could have paved the way for his expulsion. He has announced he will leave office on Aug. 23, maintaining his innocence and vowing to appeal his conviction.
“While I fully intend to appeal the jury’s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,” he wrote to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
In the letter, the senator said he was proud of his accomplishments, including helping Hurricane Sandy victims and getting federal funding from a rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey.
Mr. Menendez, 70, has had a 50-year career as a public servant, being in the Senate since 2006 and in Congress since 1993. Prior to this he served in the New Jersey Senate, the New Jersey General Assembly, and as a New Jersey mayor in Union City.
“I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country,” said Mr. Menendez after his conviction.
A June 2022 FBI raid of Mr. Menendez’s home found more than $480,000 in cash, as well as gold bars and a Mercedes Benz.
He was accused of accepting bribes from New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were convicted after going on trial alongside Mr. Menendez, and a third businessman, Jose Uribe, who pleaded guilty and testified against Mr. Menendez.
Mr. Menendez faced previous bribery allegations in 2017 that ended in a mistrial.
Mr. Murphy acknowledged he had received Mr. Menendez’s resignation letter but has not appointed a replacement to see out the remainder of his term on Jan. 3, 2025.
Numerous Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, had called for his resignation following his conviction earlier this month.
U.S Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for the Senate as a Democrat in the November elections, nodded his approval on social media platform X.
“Senator Menendez has made the right decision for New Jersey by agreeing to step down next month. It’s time for New Jersey to move forward. We have big challenges ahead of us,” he wrote.
Mr. Kim launched his Senate run shortly after the indictment against Mr. Menendez came down in September.
