New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to name his former chief of staff and longtime friend and political ally, George Helmy, as interim senator to replace Bob Menendez in the wake of his fraud conviction.
Murphy will hold a press conference in Newark on Friday to officially announce his choice for who will fill the remainder of the outgoing Menendez’s term in the US Senate.
Menendez wrote to Murphy last month saying he will resign from the Senate from 20 Aug.
George Helmy is shown in this undated file photo.
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Murphy declined to confirm that Helmy is his choice during an interview on local station WYNW Thursday morning, instead promising an announcement “in the next few days.”
“That’s the rumor. He’s a great guy, great professional. Great human being,” Murphy told the Fox station when asked if Helmy is the choice. “But nothing official, nothing to report.”
ABC News has reached out to Murphy’s office for comment on the reports that he will choose Helmy.
If Murphy names Helmy as the interim senator, it means he is bypassing Rep. Andy Kim, DN.J., who is the New Jersey Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate and is likely to be elected in November for the full term. A representative for Kim deferred any comment on the official announcement.
Late. Bob Menendez arrives at Manhattan Federal Court on July 10, 2024 in New York City.
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Friday is also the last day Menendez can remove his name from the November ballot. The 70-year-old is still officially on the ballot, running for his seat as an independent candidate.
Menendez, who had served as a New Jersey senator since 2006, was convicted on all countsincluding bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction, in a federal lawsuit last month.
He planned to appeal his verdict and said he was “deeply disappointed” by the jury’s decision. His sentence was set for October 29.
“I have never broken my oath,” he said outside the courthouse after his conviction. “I have never been anything but a patriot in my country and for my country. I have never, never been a foreign agent.”