N.J. U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will resign in August

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New Jersey U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will resign from office Aug. 20. Gov. Phil Murphy said he received Menendez’s letter on Tuesday.

“I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to the United States Senate to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve,” the governor said.

Menendez was found guilty last week of using his political clout on behalf of three businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Two of the businessmen — Fred Daibes and Wael Hana — were also convicted on Tuesday. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, cut a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty.

The senator is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 29.

NBC News first reported last Wednesday that Menendez was considering stepping down from the Senate. But later in the evening, Menendez refuted the report.

“I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies,” he told CBS New York. “Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement. Anyone who knows me knows that’s the worst way to achieve a goal with me.”

The resignation caps a fall that began nearly a year ago when Menendez was charged with taking bribes and using his political influence on behalf of three businessmen.

‘More than ready’ to turn the page

LeRoy Jones, Jr., chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, said Menendez’s resignation was “long overdue.”

“I believe we are all more than ready to turn the page on this sad and tragic chapter of New Jersey history,” Jones Jr. said.

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who decided to challenge Menendez after he was indicted and refused to step down, said, “It’s time for New Jersey to move forward.”

“We have big challenges ahead of us, and we can only tackle them if we show the people of our state that this is the beginning of a new era of politics built on integrity, service and delivering for all families,” he said.

Menendez opted to bypass the primary and run as an independent, because he is confident he would be acquitted of all of the charges against him.

Menendez has until Aug. 16, four days before he leaves the Senate, to withdraw from the race. There is no indication at the moment that he will withdraw from the race.

“Whether or not he decides to do anything after Oct. 29, I think that decision may be taken out of his hands,” said Dr. Tina Zappile, director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. “He may just punt and let that happen without needing to do anything on his own.”

What happens in August?

Last week, state Senate Republican leader Anthony Bucco called on Gov. Murphy to appoint “a placeholder” and not Kim.

“Appointing candidate Andy Kim to fill this vacancy would put the thumb on the scale, benefiting one candidate before an election, and further eroding what little trust the public still has in its officials after Sen. Menendez’s conviction,” Bucco said.

Bucco renewed his call for Murphy to appoint someone else on Tuesday.

“New Jerseyans would be best served if Gov. Murphy appoints a trusted and respected leader until the voters have their chance to elect who they believe will best represent them in the U.S. Senate,” he said.

Whoever Murphy appoints to fill the remainder of Menendez’s term, Dr. Zappile said it will not likely be his wife, Tammy Murphy, whose campaign fizzled out earlier this year.

“I think he is an astute politician and has the interest of the Democratic Party at heart,” she said. “I think he would choose to either appoint Andy Kim or leave it vacant rather than put someone in who is not able to win a primary.”

Tammy Murphy quickly took herself out of the running.

In a post to social media, she reiterated that she “would not accept an appointment to the U.S. Senate.”