'Gold Bar' Bob Menendez to finally resign from the Senate after he was convicted of getting bribes in piles of cash and sports cars

Convicted New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez is set to resign his position this summer after being found guilty of over a dozen charges related to corruption. 

The longtime Garden State lawmaker's drawn out bribery trial ended last week with him being found guilty on all 16 charges. He currently faces up to 222 years in prison for his crimes. 

The jury found him guilty of accepting gold bars, cash and a luxury convertible from several New Jersey businessmen in exchange for political favors.  

The Democrat has vowed to appeal his conviction.  

But in a bid to salvage some of his credibility, Menendez decided to toss in the towel and wrote in a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy of his plans to resign. 

'This is to advise you that I will be resigning from my office as the United States Senator from New Jersey, effective on the close of business on August 20, 2024,' Menendez wrote to Murphy on Tuesday. 

'This will give time for my staff to transition to other possibilities, transfer constituent files that are pending, allow for an orderly process to choose an interim replacement, and for me to close out my Senate affairs.'

Almost immediately after being found guilty by the jury, top Democrats in the Senate began calling for their colleague's resignation. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Menendez to 'now do what is right to his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.'

But Menendez pushed back against his conviction in his resignation letter, noting how he will be appealing the ruling up to the Supreme Court if need be. 

'While I fully intend to appealed 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.'

He also mentioned how during his trial Senate staff were called to testify, complicating his case. 

'Furthermore, I cannot preserve my rights upon a successful appeal, because factual matters before the ethics committee are not privileged. This is evidenced by the Committee's Staff Director and Chief Counsel being called to testify at my trial.' 

The Democrat then went on to tout his accomplishments, adding how the governor used to refer to him by a glowing nickname. 

'I am proud of the many accomplishments I've had on behalf of New Jersey, such as leading the federal effort for Superstorm Sandy recovery, preserving and funding Gateway and leading the federal efforts to save our hospitals, State and municipalities, as well as New Jersey families through a once in a century COVID pandemic.'

'These successes led you, Governor, to call me the 'Indispensable Senator,'' Menendez wrote cheekily. 

'I thank the citizens of New Jersey for the extraordinary privilege of representing them in the United States Senate,' his resignation letter concludes. 

Menendez used his high-profile position as the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to help one man negotiate a contract with Egyptian officials, prosecutors explained at trial.

And he used his influence as the New Jersey's senior senator to quash a state investigation into another accomplice's state insurance fraud case, prosecutors said.

Menendez's defense, meanwhile, argued the Democrat had a fear of going without and his Cuban heritage as the reason he stored gold and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at his home. 

Menendez is due to be sentenced on October 29.