Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has finally dropped his reelection bid ahead of Friday's deadline after being convicted of corruption.
In addition to finally dropping his bid for reelection, Menendez officially resigned his seat, effective Aug. 20, next Tuesday.
Menendez confirmed his decision in a letter to New Jersey’s acting director of the state’s Division of Elections, Donna Barber, saying "By means of this email please be advised that as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in this November’s election I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot."
This decision brings the end to Menendez's long and corrupt career as he has become the poster boy for New Jersey's corruption which has been a topic of discussion for years.
Menendez spent years in the Senate enriching himself while advocating for foreign nations and his fellow Democrats reportedly knew nothing about any of it.
Menendez has been in Congress for 31 years and the information coming out about him is a great argument for term limits for Congress.
He was convicted on 16 criminal counts all of which he has appealed and is using $3.3 million in campaign funds to bankroll his legal fees. Now that he has dropped out of the race he can no longer accept new donations.
Barring a major development in his appeals process he will be sentenced on October 29, and at worst he faces decades in prison.
He was convicted of charges of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Much like how the Biden family has been selling influence, Menendez also sold his position to the highest bidder.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who prosecuted the case stated following the conviction that Menendez's "years of selling his office to the higher bidder have finally come to an end.”
Menendez defiantly claimed that he "never violated my public oath," and vowed to fight the conviction. While it remains to be seen what will happen with his appeal, Senate Democrats may be breathing a sigh of relief with Menendez dropping out.
Menendez was running against Representative Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Republican Curtis Bashaw. There was a real fear among Democrats that Menendez may have split the vote allowing Bashaw to take a surprise victory in a deep blue state.
Kim is the Democrat Party's chosen successor for Menendez but until Menendez actually dropped out of the race things weren't going according to plan.
Furthermore, Menendez's insistence on sticking around did more damage to Democrats who have had to act like nobody was aware of his thirty years of corruption and self-enrichment.
Now Bashaw's chances of stealing a surprise Senate seat are back in the ground but some of New Jersey's Republicans are hopeful that the general population will be so disgusted with the corruption that they will look for a change in leadership.
