U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is resigning from workplace Aug. 20 following his conviction for taking bribes for corrupt acts together with appearing as an agent of the Egyptian authorities, an individual acquainted with the matter instructed The Related Press on Tuesday.
Menendez had insisted after the July 16 verdict that he was harmless and promised to attraction. The one that instructed the AP about Menendez’s resignation did so on the situation of anonymity as a result of the New Jersey Democrat’s resolution hadn’t been made public. Menendez’s legal professional hasn’t returned messages in search of remark.
The resignation offers New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, the power to nominate somebody to the senate for the rest of Menendez’s time period, which expires on Jan. 3. The seat was already up for election on Nov. 5. Democrats have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who’s in robust place within the Democratic-leaning state. He faces Republican Curtis Bashaw.
Menendez, 70, was convicted of fees that he offered the facility of his workplace to a few New Jersey businessmen who sought quite a lot of favors. Prosecutors mentioned Menendez used his affect to meddle in three completely different state and federal legal investigations to guard his associates. They mentioned he helped one bribe-paying buddy get a multimillion-dollar take care of a Qatari funding fund and one other maintain a contract to offer spiritual certification for meat sure for Egypt.
He was additionally convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt’s authorities in alternate for bribes, together with offering particulars on personnel on the U.S. embassy in Cairo, ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators concerning lifting a maintain on navy support to Egypt. FBI brokers discovered stacks of gold bars and $480,000 in money hidden in Menendez’s home.
After his conviction, Menendez denied all of these allegations, saying “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”
However quite a few fellow Democrats had urged him to resign, together with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer. Murphy had urged the Senate to expel Menendez if he did not give up. Solely 15 senators have ever been expelled. Sen. William Blount, of Tennessee, was ousted in 1797 for treason. The opposite 14 have been expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting Confederates in the course of the Civil Battle.
Menendez faces the potential for a long time in jail. A decide scheduled his sentencing on Oct. 29, per week earlier than the election.
His resignation bookends a profession spent in politics that began with him getting elected to his native faculty board simply a few years after highschool commencement. He is held workplace at each stage in his dwelling state and had vowed to run as an impartial in November for a fourth time period.
The son of Cuban immigrants and an legal professional by coaching, Menendez was a Union Metropolis, New Jersey, faculty board member at age 20 — earlier than graduating from legislation faculty — and later turned the mayor of the town, the place he nonetheless has deep connections.
His personal biography says he needed to combat corruption early in his political profession, testifying in opposition to Union Metropolis officers and constructing a repute as robust. From there, he was elected to the state Meeting, then the state Senate earlier than heading to the U.S. Home.
He was appointed to be a U.S. senator in 2006 when the seat opened up after incumbent Jon Corzine turned governor. He was elected outright in 2006 and once more in 2012 and 2018. He served as chair of the influential Senate Overseas Relations Committee starting in 2013.
Menendez’ political profession regarded prefer it may be over in 2015, when he was indicted in New Jersey on fees that he had accepted bribes of luxurious abroad holidays, personal jet journey and marketing campaign contributions from a rich Florida eye physician, Salomon Melgen.
In return, prosecutors mentioned Menendez pressured authorities officers on Melgen’s behalf over an $8.9 million Medicare billing dispute and a stalled contract to offer port screening tools within the Dominican Republic. They mentioned he additionally helped get hold of U.S. visas for the physician’s girlfriends.
The protection argued that the presents weren’t bribes however tokens of friendship between two males who have been “like brothers.”
A jury could not attain a unanimous verdict, leading to a mistrial in 2017. U.S. prosecutors did not search a retrial.
New Jersey voters then returned Menendez to the Senate for an additional time period. Melgen was convicted in a separate fraud trial, however his 17-year jail sentence was later commuted by then-President Donald Trump.
