(NationalUSNews.com) — Following a lengthy criminal case regarding corruption, a jury has convicted Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) of corruption, prompting the disgraced senator’s looming resignation.
Menendez famously argued against resignation before his conviction, insisting he’d remain in Congress and prevail in his ongoing corruption trial. Other senators protested Menendez’s refusal to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), who demanded that Menendez resign when news of the criminal charges against the senator first materialized.
Menendez steadfastly refused to resign or admit any wrongdoing before his conviction, which saw a jury find the senator guilty of 16 federal charges relating to a bribery scheme between the senator and his business associates. Menendez used his connections in Congress to help three businessmen from New Jersey make money by working with Egyptian officials, and the senator received various bribes of cash or gold due to his involvement in the international scheme.
Although federal prosecutors only charged Menendez with crimes dating back to 2018, some legal experts believe Menendez’s corruption could date back to 2006, when he first joined the Senate. Menendez’s first criminal case started in 2015 after a grand jury indicted the senator for allegedly accepting bribes from a Florida optometrist, causing some to speculate that Menendez’s corruption could date back decades. Menendez’s first corruption trial ended in a mistrial, and prosecutors decided to avoid retrying the senator.
Menendez released a statement after his first criminal trial, claiming that members of the Democratic Party had colluded to end his political career. Menendez remained critical of the Democratic Party during his last years as senator and famously criticized New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for claiming he should resign. Murphy openly criticized Menendez when the allegations of corruption first made national headlines, and the governor plans to appoint a temporary replacement for the last few months of Menendez’s term.
Although Menendez plans to resign from the Senate in the coming days, the convicted senator could return to his position if exonerated. Menendez has already filed to run for his position as an independent candidate in the upcoming election and plans to continue his reelection campaign if he receives an exoneration. Despite Menendez’s frequent claims of innocence, many legal experts find an appeal effort unlikely to succeed.
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