Last week, Sen. Bob Menendez denied reports that he was planning to resign after his federal bribery conviction—but on Tuesday, he announced his resignation date. "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 in a letter to Senate officials and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, per the Washington Post. He said he plans to resign effective Aug. 20, giving his staff time for an orderly transition, the AP reports.
The 70-year-old, who was convicted on 16 felony charges, is due to be sentenced Oct. 29. He could face decades in prison. After the conviction, numerous fellow Democrats urged Menendez to resign, with some threatening to expel him from the Senate. On Monday, Senate Ethics Committee leaders notified Menendez that members had voted to "initiate an adjudicatory review of his alleged violations of Senate Rules," a possible first step toward expulsion, the Hill reports.
It's not clear who Murphy, a Democrat, will appoint to serve the remainder of Menendez's term, which expires on Jan. 3, reports NJ Advance Media. Rep, Andy Kim won the Democratic primary to run for the seat in the November election, but insiders say Murphy might choose his wife, Tammy Murphy—who dropped out of the contentious primary—to finish Menendez's term. This story has been updated with new developments. (More Bob Menendez stories.)
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