Will U.S. Senator Bob Menendez resign after conviction?

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s future in the Senate has been uncertain since he was indicted by federal authorities last fall for allegedly selling the power of his office in exchange for luxury bribes like cash, gold bars and a car. But after a jury convicted him Tuesday of bribery and corruption, that uncertainty has reached a fever pitch as the senator faces renewed calls to resign.

After a nine-week trial, Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts, including bribery, obstruction, using his position as committee chairman to his advantage and acting as a foreign agent. The New Jersey Democrat became one of a handful of U.S. senators to be convicted of a crime while in office and was the first to be found guilty of being an agent of a foreign government.

However, Menendez, 70, maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.

So what happens to his seat?

Will Bob Menendez resign from the Senate or be expelled?

Theoretically, Menendez can continue in his role if the Senate does not vote to expel him.

The three-term senator has resisted calls to resign before the verdict is announced, but pressure is mounting as other Democrats continue to call for him to resign from the Senate.

” READ MORE: Top Democrats Call on Sen. Bob Menendez to Resign After Conviction

If he still doesn’t step down, Senate Democrats, who control the chamber by a slim majority, will have to vote to expel him. Congress needs a two-thirds vote, or 67 votes, to do so.

Members The chambers were thrown out in recent years, but a U.S. senator hasn’t been expelled since 1862, when a group of legislators were removed for supporting the Confederacy. Since then, senators facing expulsion have chosen to resign.

Former Sen. Harrison Williams Jr., a New Jersey Democrat who was also convicted of bribery, resigned from the Senate in 1982 before his colleagues could vote to expel him.

Former Senator Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was the last senator to be convicted of a crime while in office when he was found guilty of making false statements on financial disclosure forms 2008Stevens refused to resign but was removed from office in an election and had his conviction overturned by an appeals court due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

Can Bob Menendez still run for re-election?

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim won the Democratic primary in New Jersey and is the favorite in the November general election because Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state.

But Menendez filed paperwork last month to seek a fourth term as an independent candidate. He has until mid-August to withdraw from the November election if he wants.

Menendez has not commented on his political plans since his conviction.

If he wants, Menendez could still seek re-election and keep his seat while facing or serving a prison sentence, according to the National Constitution Centera private nonprofit that focuses on constitutional education. The judge set Menendez’s sentencing date for Oct. 29, a week before the November election.

His independent candidacy could undermine Kim’s position in the race if he does well.

But Patrick Murray, director of The Polling Institute at Monmouth University, said that with the verdict, Menendez’s days in politics were likely over, regardless of whether the case is appealed.

“It would be very challenging for people to believe, even if opinions were divided, that there was nothing wrong with the pictures of the gold bars and the Mercedes and everything associated with it,” Murray said.

” READ MORE: Bob Menendez Verdict: Will He Have to Resign? How Long Does He Face in Prison? What’s Next?

What happens if Menendez leaves the Senate?

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, called on the Senate to take steps to expel Menendez if he refuses to resign.

Murphy said that if Menendez’s seat were to become vacant, he would apply his authority to appoint a successor to the senator, who would serve until January. He did not specify whom he would name.

Democratic Party he has already nominated Kim as candidate for November.

Murphy’s strategic move would be to appoint Kim because if Kim’s bid is successful, he would enter the up-to-date term with seniority that could bolster New Jersey’s influence. in committees.

Kim competed for the senator’s nomination against the governor’s wife, First Lady Tammy Murphy, in a closely contested primary election from which Murphy withdrew in March.

— Journalist Anna Orso contributed to this report, which also includes information from the Associated Press.