Who is Senator Menendez and why does he want to resign?

Senator Bob Menendez is reportedly set to resign after he was convicted of taking bribes, according to NBC News. He had earlier been defiant and did not give any indication he would leave his post voluntarily despite his conviction.

Democratic senators immediately called for his resignation after the guilty verdict on Tuesday, and had been considering efforts to expel him from his position if he refused to leave.

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Who is Senator Bob Menendez?

Menendez is a long-serving Democratic politician from New Jersey, who was been found guilty on all 16 counts of corruption and bribery charges following a high-profile trial in New York.

The jury’s verdict, reached after more than 12 hours of deliberation, marks a significant downfall for the veteran senator.

Menendez now faces the prospect of 222 years in prison, a devastating blow to his long career in public service. The verdict also raises questions about the future of his congressional pension, though he will be allowed to retain it while exhausting his appeals.

Prosecutors alleged that Menendez accepted a range of bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle, from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for leveraging his political influence to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

The senator was accused of using his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to steer millions in U.S. aid to Egypt and soften criticism of the country’s human rights abuses, all while receiving personal financial rewards.

READ ALSO: What are the consequences for Bob Menendez after he was found guilty?

What happens next?

Menendez will be sentenced on October 29. There are no rules preventing convicted felons from being US senators.

However, there are mechanisms Congress can use to oust members. This has happened 15 times in the past, the most recent time being in 1981 for another New Jersey Democrat senator.

This conviction comes just months before Menendez was set to run for reelection, dooming any hopes of a political comeback. The Democratic party has already nominated Rep. Andy Kim to run for Menendez’s Senate seat, while the Republican nominee is Curtis Bashaw. Menendez had said he would run as an independent.