SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has appointed his former chief of staff George Helmy to serve the remainder of Sen. Bob Menendez’s term, he announced on Friday. Menendez said he will resign later this month following his conviction on federal bribery charges.
“He’s an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional human being,” Murphy said of Helmy. “And yet, he has chosen an unsung path because for him, it has never been about who gets the credit. It has always been about who he can help.
“He is the model of integrity that we need to help restore the public’s trust in our state’s leadership.”
Helmy served as Murphy’s top aide from 2019 to 2023 and is now an executive at RWJ Barnabas Health, a large health care provider in the state. He was formerly an aide to Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
He has built a reputation for himself in Trenton and beyond as a man who gets things done but has no interest in generating headlines for himself. He said he may never get used to being called “senator.”
“I have never, nor will I ever, seek elected office. As a matter of fact, as the governor alluded to, the idea of being called ‘senator’ bothers me deeply,” Helmy said.
“Our nonprofits and local governments deserve an office that will fight for them, for their grants, and support them in the arcane maze of federal agencies,” he continued. “And yes, New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation on the floor of the U.S. Senate.”
Helmy will serve about 100 days, then step down early so the winner of the election — either Rep. Andy Kim or Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw — can get started before other freshmen senators.
Helmy’s appointment means Murphy passed over Kim, who is the Democratic nominee for the seat on the November ballot, facing off against Bashaw. Kim was briefly locked in a tough primary with first lady Tammy Murphy before she dropped her bid. Murphy’s choice denies Kim a boost in seniority if he were to win the seat in November.
“Getting the job done is what matters,” Helmy added. “The service is what matters.”
Menendez’s conviction
Menendez wrote in a letter to Murphy last month that he was resigning on Aug. 20, just over a month after the jury’s verdict. He said he planned to appeal.
Menendez, 70, was convicted of charges that he sold the power of his office to three New Jersey businessmen who sought a variety of favors. Prosecutors said Menendez used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect his associates. They said he helped one bribe-paying friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another keep a contract to provide religious certification for meat bound for Egypt.
He was also convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt’s government in exchange for bribes, including providing details on personnel at the U.S. embassy in Cairo, and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators regarding lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. FBI agents found stacks of gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendez’s house.
After his conviction, Menendez denied all of those allegations, saying, “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”
Numerous fellow Democrats had urged him to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Murphy had urged the Senate to expel Menendez if he didn’t quit.
Only 15 senators have ever been expelled. Sen. William Blount, of Tennessee, was ousted in 1797 for treason. The other 14 were expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting Confederates during the Civil War.
Menendez’s sentencing is scheduled for late October, shortly before the election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.