George Helmy, a former chief of staff to Governor Phil Murphy, will take office as a New Jersey senator next month after Robert Menendez’s resignation.
Menendez quietly resigned on Tuesday, making no official statements on his now defunct website or social media accounts. He was first elected in 2006.
The former senator was convicted on 16 counts last month in a federal corruption trial. He was accused of using his power and influence to illegally obtain lavish gifts from New Jersey businessmen.
The verdict came after three days of deliberations, marking the end of a nine-week trial.
Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Menendez’s legal team filed a motion to overturn the convictions and a motion for a new trial on Monday. The 52-page document alleges that prosecutors did not introduce “sufficient evidence” to prove each of the charges. Defense attorney Adam Fee also claimed prosecutors “walked all over” some legal immunities and protections granted to lawmakers.
“These convictions will make terrible, dangerous law,” Fee said. “All of Senator Menendez’s convictions must be reversed.”
Newsweek reached out to Menendez for comment.
Career in the Senate
Menendez was appointed to the Senate in January of 2006 after the seat was vacated by Jon Corzine, who was elected to be governor of New Jersey. He was elected to a full six-year term in November of that year, then re-elected in 2012 and 2018.
He was the sixth Latino to serve in the Senate.
Photo by Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images
Menendez served on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He was chair of the foreign relations committee, but stepped down after the federal corruption charges were filed.
Who is George Helmy?
Helmy will fill Menendez’s seat starting September 9, Murphy announced on Friday in a press release. He will serve until the certification of the upcoming general election on November 27.
Helmy, 43, was born in Jersey City and attended Glen Ridge High School. He then went on to attend Rutgers University for undergraduate school and Harvard University for graduate school.
Governor Phil Murphy and Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images
He worked for UPS as a business operations manager from 2001 to 2013.
Helmy also served as an aide and caseworker for Senator Frank Lautenberg from 2012 to 2013.
Fellow New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has already worked closely with Helmy. Helmy was a deputy state director and state director for Booker.
“New Jersey deserves the most prepared and capable person to serve in this interim period,” Booker said in a statement. “There is perhaps no one else more qualified to hit the ground running and make an impact for New Jersey in this role over the next several months. From his dedicated years of service for Senator Lautenberg and his strong leadership as my state director, George knows how a Senator can be most effective for the people of New Jersey.
Murphy hired Helmy as his chief of staff in 2019.
“It is an honor to appoint George Helmy, a proven public servant who deeply understands the complexities of Congress, to the United States Senate,” Murphy said in a statement. “George is the model of integrity we need to help restore public trust in our state’s leadership. There is no one better prepared — or more committed — to delivering for the people of our state, especially when it comes to providing the highest caliber of constituent services. For four and a half years, I witnessed firsthand George’s unique skillset, wealth of knowledge, and willingness to pour his heart and soul into serving the people of our state. I have absolute confidence that he will serve New Jerseyans well over the next few months.”
Helmy resigned from the position in 2023.
He then became executive vice president and chief external affairs and policy officer at RWJBarnabas Health.
Helmy also worked with two Fortune 100 companies.
He will be the only Arab-American Senator when he takes office. He currently lives in Morris County with his wife and two children.
“I thank the Governor and accept this appointment with great humility and even greater determination to represent New Jerseyans in the United States Senate,” Helmy said in a statement. “While I am honored to serve and provide New Jersey with a Senate office that they can depend on, I commit to stepping down early to give the duly elected Senator the chance to begin their work. As I serve my state as Senator for the next few months, I promise to work for the people of New Jersey and hope to restore their faith in public service.”
Democratic nominee Rep. Andy Kim and Republican nominee and entrepreneur Curtis Bashaw are both running to take the seat in November’s election. Menendez originally announced he would run as an independent before recently withdrawing from the race.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
