Resignation of American Senator Following Corruption Conviction

American Senator Bob Menendez resigned today, Tuesday, following his conviction on corruption charges, including bribery and acting as an agent for the Egyptian government, thus yielding to pressure from his Democratic peers to step down. New Jersey's Democratic Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement for Menendez, who has represented the state in the Senate since 2006 and previously served as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee before stepping down from that position after being indicted last year. A jury in a federal court in Manhattan found Menendez (70 years old) guilty on July 16 of all sixteen criminal charges against him, including obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and extortion, after a nine-week trial. Two other co-defendants were also convicted. Menendez's resignation letter was read aloud in the Senate chamber.