Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was convicted on 16 felony counts of bribery and corruption, has officially resigned from the U.S. Senate.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced in October.

Per BBC:

Menendez, 70, has maintained his innocence and said he plans to appeal.

Menendez initially resisted calls to step down and – until last week – had kept his name on the ballot for re-election in November.

But in a resignation letter to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy last month, the former lawmaker said he would resign Tuesday to avoid becoming a distraction.

“I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,” Menendez wrote.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced the appointment of George Samir Helmy to fill the vacant seat until a replacement is elected in November.

“Today I am proud to announce that I will appoint George Samir Helmy to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Menendez. George will serve with honesty and integrity and is the ideal leader to take on this interim role,” Murphy wrote.

“I thank the Governor and accept this appointment with great humility and even greater determination to represent New Jerseyans in the United States Senate,” Helmy said.

“While I am honored to serve and provide New Jersey with a Senate office that they can depend on, I commit to stepping down early to give the duly elected Senator the chance to begin their work. As I serve my state as Senator for the next few months, I promise to work for the people of New Jersey and hope to restore their faith in public service,” he added.

From Gov. Phil Murphy:

Serving as Chief of Staff to Governor Phil Murphy from February 2019 to October 2023, George Helmy played a critical role in leading New Jersey’s pandemic response, negotiated six on-time state budgets, and ensured the completion of many of the Governor’s legislative goals. Prior to serving as Chief of Staff, Helmy served as State Director to U.S. Senator Cory Booker, serving on the Senator’s senior staff and overseeing the day-to-day operations of his New Jersey offices. Prior to that, he worked as Senator Booker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for two years. Helmy has also worked in the private sector with two Fortune 100 companies and served as an aide and caseworker to the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, handling issues such as gun safety and financial affairs.

Helmy currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs and Policy Officer at RWJBarnabas Health. A native of Jersey City, Helmy lives in Morris County with his wife and two children. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University and Master’s degree from Harvard University.

Upon his appointment to the U.S. Senate, Helmy will become the only Arab-American Senator in the 118th Congress. Helmy is tentatively scheduled to be sworn in on September 9th, when the U.S. Senate reconvenes.

Meanwhile, Menendez is reportedly negotiating a pardon from Joe Biden before he leaves office.

The New York Post reports:

“He’s likely trying to get a pardon or a reduction in his sentence,” said a New Jersey political operative who did not want to be identified.

“Bob Menendez doesn’t do things without getting something back, and at this point I would think he would want to get out of the way to spare his kids the embarrassment, and maybe even help his wife.”

Menendez could face over 200 years in prison when he is sentenced in October.

Menendez had been running as an independent in November’s election but dropped out of the race last week, paving the way for Democratic frontrunner Andy Kim to take his old seat.

Sources said dropping out was likely Menendez’s last bargaining chip. Had he stayed in the race, Democrats worried he could split the vote, resulting in a victory for the Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw.

His wife, Nadine Arslanian, has also been indicted on corruption and bribery charges although her trial has been postponed indefinitely as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

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