Finally, Bob Menendez has done the right thing. He will resign as NJ's senior senator

Finally, it comes to an end.

Sen. Bob Menendez — who remained defiant even after he was convicted on 16 federal felony counts related to a bribery scheme — will resign.

Menendez had faced calls to resign for months. Gov. Phil Murphy said last week that if he didn't resign, the Senate should expel him. Sen. Cory Booker, speaking on MSNBC after Menendez's conviction, said he would proudly lead such an effort.

On Tuesday, New Jersey’s senior senator informed the Murphy administration of his plan to depart the U.S. Senate on Aug. 20. His resignation was later formalized with a letter.

It's about time.

New Jersey has long deserved better — and surely does in the charged political atmosphere that grips our national politics and federal policymaking.

Menendez resignation caps a two-year saga

The decision, which we called for and welcome, follows a nearly two-year saga that began in the fall of 2022, when it was first reported that federal authorities were investigating Menendez.

Their case became clear a year later, when, late last September, Menendez was indicted alongside his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen: Wael Hana, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe. Prosecutors alleged  that Menendez and Arslanian Menendez had taken bribes in exchange for exerting influence and peddling favors. In three superseding indictments, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York expanded the charges, alleging that Menendez acted as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt — even as he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Among other gifts, Menendez allegedly received cash, gold bars and a luxury car in exchange for his influence.

Menendez, alongside Daibes and Hana, was convicted by a jury earlier this month. With Uribe, who entered a guilty plea and cooperated with federal prosecutors, they are set to face sentencing on Oct. 29. Arslanian Menendez, who was to be tried separately in August following a breast cancer diagnosis, has seen her trial postponed indefinitely.

Of course, Menendez's conviction is to say nothing of his 2017 federal corruption trial, which ended in a mistrial.

Among the many New Jersey political figures to urge Menendez to depart office was veteran Bergen County Democrat Loretta Weinberg, a retired state senator. Following President Joe Biden's Sunday announcement that he would step out of the presidential race, Weinberg posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Menendez should follow the president's example and leave.

“Sen. Menendez - message to you sent by Pres. Biden on how to behave! Hope you acknowledge receipt," Weinberg wrote in a well-timed post.

Menendez, who has touted his five decades of service to the people of New Jersey, seemed to brush off such calls even just days ago. After he learned of his conviction, he spoke of himself as a patriot on the courthouse steps.

Finally, after so much wrongdoing, he's done something right. His departure is a step forward for the Garden State.

Resignation confirmed: Sen. Bob Menendez will resign from the U.S. Senate on Aug. 20

New Jersey needs a thoughtful senator, Gov. Murphy

As we've said, New Jersey and its voters deserve better in the Senate. With Menendez's departure looming a month from now, we encourage Murphy, who can appoint a replacement to Senate to fill the seat until a new senator is elected in November, to think wisely and thoughtfully.

Again, New Jersey needs a thoughtful and open-minded senator who is capable of navigating the complex political debates amid a hyper-charged presidential election.

Governor, chose smartly.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bob Menendez finally does something right and resigns