Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has finally decided to leave office following his recent corruption conviction, according to a new report alleging that the disgraced senator has been privately confirming his planned resignation with allies.
Menendez, who has long faced allegations of corruption, was convicted on 16 federal counts on Tuesday after using his official position to enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez and his wife then received lavish bribes for his actions, including “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value,” according to prosecutors. Politico reported that Menendez is facing “up to 222 years in prison for the numerous counts he was convicted of, though he is unlikely to receive the maximum allowable sentence.”
🚨BREAKING: New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez found guilty all counts in bribery trial pic.twitter.com/Ck5ZkUOV00
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 16, 2024
Prior to the conviction, Menendez was already facing calls to resign from the Senate due to the overwhelming evidence of his corruption, but he refused to do so — despite the fact that many of those calls came from members of his own party, including Sens. Cory Booker (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
28 Democrat Senators are calling for Bob Menendez to resign pic.twitter.com/iRlCRaLAwI
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) September 27, 2023
Since the conviction, these calls have been renewed, including from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
In a statement following the guilty verdict, Schumer declared: “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and 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.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 16, 2024
If the reports are true about Menendez’s plans, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) would be able to appoint a senator to complete his term following the official resignation.
Meanwhile, Menendez is facing challengers in his reelection bid from Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Senate Republican nominee Curtis Bashaw. Polls show that Bashaw narrowly loses to Kim, a three-term congressman, by just a few percentage points.
While New Jersey has been reliably blue for some time, recent polls have indicated a shift in the wind that could lead to potential Republican victories down ballot. One poll, conducted by Republican super PAC “United 2024,” showed former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in the blue state, though the results are within the poll’s margin of error.
ELECTION ALERT: Trump leads Biden in New Jersey, 41% to 40%, a state not won by a Republican since 1988 -Coefficient poll
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) June 28, 2024