“Bob Menendez used his position as a Senator to line his pockets, apparently quite literally, while doling out political favors,” Dunn (R-Morris) said. “His actions are a disgrace to the esteemed offices he occupied and he should not receive one more tax dollar from the constituents’ whose trust he has finally and completely shattered.”

Elected or appointed officials convicted of crimes involving their government office would forfeit their pension under a bill (A4430) introduced by Dunn. Menendez, who served as mayor of Union City and as a state assemblyman before ascending to Congress in 1993, currently draws a $1,066-per-month state pension, which he has done since 2019, on top of his $139,200 annual salary as Senator.

In July, a jury convicted Menendez on 16 federal charges ranging from bribery, fraud, obstruction and acting as a foreign agent. Federal prosecutors accused him of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes—including cash, a Mercedes-Benz and gold—for political favors. His wife, Nadine, was also charged but had her case indefinitely delayed by the judge.

In response, Democrats, including fellow New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Gov. Phil Murphy, called for Menendez’s resignation immediately following his conviction July 16. However, he refused, and instead declared his intent to run as an “independent Democrat” when Congressman Andy Kim secured the Democratic nomination for his seat in the June primaries.

The beleaguered Senator abandoned that reelection bid by mid-August, replaced in the interim by Murphy’s former chief of staff George Helmy. Under the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007—a bill he voted for—Menendez will lose his federal pension.

“In his pursuit of corrupt power and wealth, he forfeited it all, including his legacy,” Dunn said. “No one who abuses his or her office in such a way should ever expect to receive benefits for a service which is marred by criminal acts.”

Menendez will be sentenced Oct. 29.

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