Crooked pol times exit to last payday
Convicted felon and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez will resign from the Senate on Aug. 20 — a date that will likely ensure he gets to collect one final taxpayer-funded paycheck on his way out the door.
Menendez, 70, revealed his intention to quit in a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Tuesday.
The disgraced senator, convicted last week of trading the power of his office for lucrative bribes, set his last day as Aug. 20.
Senate paydays are usually on the 5th and 20th of each month, which means that Menendez will likely take home another chunk of his $174,000 annual salary from Uncle Sam before quitting.
Menendez didn’t mention that fact in his letter, only saying he chose the date because “this will 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.
“While I fully intend to appeal the jury’s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,” Menendez said.
Murphy said he will “make a temporary appointment,” to serve out the remainder of Menendez’s term.
A deluge of Democrats had publicly demanded that the Democratic pol step aside as he battled bribery allegations — and those calls only grew louder after a jury found him guilty on 16 counts for using his political perch to benefit Egypt, Qatar and three of his wealthy pals in exchange for piles of cash, gold bars and other gifts.
But even after his conviction, Menendez professed his innocence and refused to say he would quit while pursuing an appeal. The three-term Democrat is facing up to decades in jail, with sentencing slated for Oct. 29.
“I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies,” Menendez told CBS News on Wednesday. “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.”
Pressure mounted when Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) publicly urged him to quit after his conviction, despite the Democrats’ slim 51-49 Senate majority.
Menendez announced in March that he would not pursue renomination, but would consider an independent re-election run. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) has since clinched the party’s nomination for the seat this cycle. He is the overwhelming favorite to win that seat, which has long been held by Democrats.
Menendez was found guilty of using his political power to gain gifts such as cash, 1-kilogram gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and more in exchange for favors. Co-defendants included his wife Nadine, 57, businessman Wael Hana, 40, and businessman Fred Daibes, 66. Both men were also convicted of padding Menendez’s pockets in exchange for benefits.
Nadine’s trial, amid her treatment for breast cancer, has been delayed indefinitely.
Evidence included photos of 13 gold bars (below) — worth about $150,000 — in the senator’s bedroom, and $480,000 in cash. Prosecutors alleged that Menendez helped pen a letter asking the federal government to unfreeze $300 million worth of aid to Egypt, st lled due to human rights concerns, worke to protect Hana’s halal meat bu iness, and more.