Menendez Will Resign From Senate in August

Following his felony conviction earlier this month, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday. The letter states he will step down from his Senate seat on August 20th.

The Details: On July 16, Menendez was convicted of 16 felony counts for using his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar in exchange for bribes. Through the past week, Menendez has insisted he would remain in the Senate as many of his colleagues, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), demanded he resign and prepared to expel him if necessary.

Key Quote: “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,” wrote Menendez in the letter.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum noted the near-unanimity among Democrats in calling for Menendez to resign. Fox News (Right bias), Washington Times (Lean Right), and CNN (Lean Left) mentioned Menendez’s previous corruption trial, which ended in 2017 with a deadlocked jury. Fox highlighted that Schumer “held off” on calling for Menendez’s resignation after the Department of Justice first announced the charges in September 2023. Daily Beast (Left) quoted prominent New Jersey Democrats denouncing Menendez.