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US Senator Robert Menendez has announced that he will resign next month, following his recent conviction on bribery and corruption charges.
Menendez in a letter to the state Governor, Phil Murphy, said he planned to step down on August 20 from the Senate seat he had held since 2006.
The senator was convicted in New York last week of extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting bribes to perform favours for businessmen with connections to Egypt and Qatar.
He will be sentenced on October 29 and could spend the rest of his life in prison.
In his letter, Menendez said he planned to appeal the verdict and resign because he does “not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will distract it from its important work.”
Menendez has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to resign and his decision to step down will save the party from having to vote to expel him, which would have been an unwanted distraction ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Murphy, the Democratic governor, said on X that he would name a temporary replacement for Menendez who would serve until the end of his term in January.
In a raid on the couple’s New Jersey home, FBI agents found nearly $500,000 in cash hidden around the house, as well as gold bars worth around $150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible.
AFP
