CNN
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New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez plans to resign from Congress on Aug. 20, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
Menendez was convicted in July on 16 charges, including bribery, extortion, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent, for his role in a years-long bribery scheme.
Tuesday’s events were a key moment in the New Jersey senator’s dramatic political downfall and will likely bring to an end a scandal-plagued term in the Senate. Menendez had been facing growing pressure from within his own party to resign or face the threat of expulsion from the Senate.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (Democrat) is expected to appoint a successor to fill the remainder of Menendez’s term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2025.
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican Rep. Curtis Bashaw are vying for the seat in the November general election. Menendez, who was up for reelection this year, previously filed to run as an independent. Menendez did not immediately say whether he planned to continue running as an independent.
Menendez was elected as a Democrat in 1992 and has represented New Jersey in the Legislature since, first as a Representative and then as a Senator.
Menendez, who is due to be sentenced on October 29, maintains he has never violated his public oath and has said he is nothing more than a “patriot and a servant of my country.”
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed with the jury’s verdict,” Menendez told reporters outside the courtroom after the guilty verdict. “I am confident that the law and the facts did not support that verdict, and I am confident that I will be successful on appeal.”
The guilty verdict has led to growing calls for Menendez to resign, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also calling for him to step down.
“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must do the right thing for his constituents, the Senate and our country and resign,” Schumer said in a statement.
Menendez stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year but had long resisted calls from senators to resign.
Prosecutors admitted to allegations that the senator used his power to advance Egyptian military interests, interfere in criminal prosecutions and try to secure investments from Qatari officials. Menendez and his wife are alleged to have accepted gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and other bribes in exchange for his influence.
The senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged in the case, but a judge postponed her trial indefinitely after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has pleaded not guilty.
The most serious charges, racketeering and wire fraud, each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Menendez faces a maximum sentence of 222 years in prison if served consecutively on each of the 16 charges, but the sentences will run concurrently unless the court orders otherwise.
This is not the first time Menendez has faced a legal battle, having served in the Senate since 2006. He was indicted by federal prosecutors in 2015 on charges of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud in relation to abuse of office. Prosecutors said at the time that the senator accepted more than $600,000 in political contributions from wealthy ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen, a luxury hotel suite at the Park Hyatt in Paris and complimentary rides on his private jet in exchange for political favors.
The corruption trial ended in a mistrial in November 2017 after the jury reported they could not reach a consensus. Both defendants denied all charges.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
