Mr. Menendez’s decision to quit months before the end of his third term will likely allow Democrats to avoid a potentially ugly intraparty fight at a highly fraught political moment.
New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Philip D. Murphy, is expected to appoint a replacement who would serve until January.
Mr. Menendez, 70, has insisted that he is innocent and vowed to appeal the guilty verdict.
The decision, first reported by The New Jersey Globe, was described by four people familiar with Mr. Menendez’s remarks who were not authorized to discuss them publicly.
One of them said Mr. Menendez planned to step down on Aug. 20 and could announce the decision publicly as soon as Tuesday afternoon.
Persons:
Robert Menendez, Philip D, Murphy, Mr, Menendez, Menendez’s
Organizations:
Robert Menendez of New, Democratic, Senate Foreign Relations, The New, The New Jersey Globe
Locations:
Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Union City, N.J, Washington, The New Jersey