New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to appoint his former chief of staff, George Helmy, next week to fill the seat being vacated by convicted Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, multiple state media outlets reported.
Helmy served as Murphy’s chief of staff for more than four years, most recently as executive and external relations director for RWJBarnabas Health. Murphy’s appointment means Helmy will serve out the remainder of Menendez’s term, which expires on Jan. 3.
The seat was already up for election on November 5. Democrats nominated U.S. Representative Andy Kim, who is a strong congressman in a Democratic-leaning state, as their candidate. Kim will face Republican Curtis Bashaw. During the trial in July, Menendez announced his candidacy for reelection as an independent.
Helmy previously served as State Affairs Director for Senator Cory Booker (DN-J) and will serve with Senator Booker in the Senate for the remainder of the 118th Congress.
Murphy could have given Kim a seniority advantage by appointing her to the vacant seat. Kim ran in the Democratic primary against Gov. Tammy Murphy, the New Jersey first lady who later withdrew her candidacy in late March.
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Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J) speaks to media as he leaves the Manhattan Federal Courthouse in New York City, July 16, 2024. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Helmy is not the first former senior aide to be appointed senator interim by his former boss: New Jersey Republican Jeffrey Chiesa, Massachusetts Democrat Moe Cowan and West Virginia Democrat Karto P. Goodwin all did the same, according to Roll Call.
Senator Menendez is scheduled to resign from his office on August 20th after being convicted of accepting bribes for corrupt activities, including acting as an agent for the Egyptian government. The senator maintained his innocence after his July 16th verdict, and in a July 23 letter notifying fellow Democrat Murphy of his intention to resign, he promised to appeal the case “to the fullest extent,” including to the Supreme Court.
Menendez wrote that delaying his departure by about a month allowed Murphy’s staff time to ensure an orderly transition. The date coincides with senators’ payday, according to the Associated Press.
Menendez, 70, was convicted of selling his powers to three New Jersey businessmen who offered him various favors. Prosecutors say Menendez used his influence to protect his associates in three state and federal criminal investigations, helping one of his bribe-paying friends secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another retain a contract to provide religious certification for meat bound for Egypt.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to nominate his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to succeed Sen. Bob Menendez on June 19, 2024, when he celebrates Juneteenth in Newark. (Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
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He was also convicted of providing details about U.S. embassy officials in Cairo and ghostwriting letters to fellow senators about lifting the suspension of military aid to Egypt in exchange for bribes. FBI agents found a large amount of gold bars and $480,000 in cash hidden in Menendez’s home.
After his conviction, Menendez denied all the charges, saying, “I am nothing but a patriot who loves and serves my country. I have never been a foreign agent.”
Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J) will leave Manhattan Federal Court on July 16, 2024. (MEGA/GC Images)
But many Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, had urged Menendez to resign. Murphy had urged the Senate to expel Menendez if he did not resign. Only 15 senators have ever been expelled. Tennessee Sen. William Blunt was expelled in 1797 for treason. Fourteen others were expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting the Confederacy during the Civil War.
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Menendez faces decades in prison. The judge is scheduled to sentence him on October 29, one week before the election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
