TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy will title his former chief of employees George Helmy to function interim senator when Bob Menendez resigns later this month after his conviction on federal bribery prices, in keeping with an individual aware of the choice.
Helmy served as Murphy’s prime aide from 2019 to 2023 and is now an government at RWJ Barnabas Well being, a big well being care supplier within the state. He was previously an aide to Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. The supply spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the choice was not but public.
His appointment means Murphy handed over Rep. Andy Kim, who’s the Democratic nominee for the seat on the November poll, going through off towards Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw. Kim was briefly locked in a tricky major with first girl Tammy Murphy earlier than she dropped her bid. Murphy’s alternative denies Kim a lift in seniority if he have been to win the seat in November.
Menendez wrote in a letter to Murphy final month that he is resigning on Aug. 20, simply over a month after the jury’s verdict. He mentioned he deliberate to enchantment.
Menendez, 70, was convicted of prices that he offered the ability of his workplace to a few New Jersey businessmen who sought a wide range of favors. Prosecutors mentioned Menendez used his affect to meddle in three completely different state and federal prison investigations to guard his associates. They mentioned he helped one bribe-paying pal get a multimillion-dollar cope with a Qatari funding fund and one other preserve a contract to offer non secular certification for meat certain for Egypt.
He was additionally convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt’s authorities in alternate for bribes, together with offering particulars on personnel on the U.S. embassy in Cairo, ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators concerning lifting a maintain on army help to Egypt. FBI brokers discovered stacks of gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendez’s home.
After his conviction, Menendez denied all of these allegations, saying “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”
Quite a few fellow Democrats had urged him to resign, together with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer. Murphy had urged the Senate to expel Menendez if he didn’t give up. Solely 15 senators have ever been expelled. Sen. William Blount, of Tennessee, was ousted in 1797 for treason. The opposite 14 have been expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting Confederates through the Civil Conflict.
Menendez’s sentencing is scheduled for late October, shortly earlier than the election.
