The New Jersey senator had been chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee before he was charged with accepting bribes on behalf of Egypt and Qatar.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will resign next month after he was found guilty on all 16 counts in a federal bribery and corruption trial.
Menendez officially informed Gov. Phil Murphy of his decision in a letter Tuesday.
"This is to advise you that I will be resigning from my office as the United States Senator from New Jersey, effective on the close of business on August 20, 2024," Menendez said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News.
He said he chose that date to "give time for my staff to transition to other possibilities, transfer constituent files that are pending, allow for an orderly process to choose an interim replacement, and for me to close out my Senate affairs."
Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement that he’d received the letter and that he 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.”
Two sources familiar with the matter said earlier Tuesday that Menendez had informed some of his staff members of his plans. The New Jersey Globe first reported his departure date.
As NBC News first reported last week, Menendez had begun telling allies in calls that he would step down from the Senate after a jury convicted him on July 16 of accepting bribes, including gold bars and cash, for official actions to benefit Qatar and Egypt. He is set to be sentenced Oct. 29 and has vowed to appeal.
Nearly every Democratic senator, as well as House members and other key elected officials in New Jersey, had said Menendez needed to resign, making it untenable for him to continue. Some had threatened to force a vote to expel him from the Senate if he didn’t leave voluntarily.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna163285 