New Jersey governor's former chief of staff to replace Menendez, but only until November election

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday tapped his former chief of staff to temporarily replace convicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and said he will appoint whoever wins the post in November as soon as election results are certified.

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw are competing in the race. Murphy said that he spoke to both about his plans.

“I expressed to them that this approach will allow the democratically chosen winner of this year’s election to embark on the smallest possible transition into office so they can provide the best possible representation for the people of New Jersey,” Murphy said at a news conference outside his office.

Former chief of staff George Helmy promised during Friday's announcement to resign after the election.

Helmy's appointment underscored Murphy's decision to not appoint Kim, who is in a strong position in the November election. Kim and first lady Tammy Murphy were locked in a primary struggle for the Senate seat earlier this year before Tammy Murphy dropped out, citing the prospects for a negative, divisive campaign.

“A lot of the press — and I’m not accusing anybody of this — would imply there’s some sort of middle school drama with me and Andy Kim, which is just not true,” Murphy said.

The stakes in the Senate election are high, with Democrats holding on to a narrow majority. Republicans have not won a Senate election in Democratic-leaning New Jersey in over five decades.

Helmy's appointment won’t take effect until after Menendez’s resignation on Aug. 20. The governor said he picked Helmy because he understands the role after serving as an aide to New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and former New Jersey U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

Murphy also praised Helmy's work as his top aide, and the two embraced briefly after Helmy spoke.

“Here in New Jersey, we do not reward leaders when they violate the public trust," Murphy said, referring to Menendez, who was convicted last month on charges that he sold the power of his office to three New Jersey businessmen who sought a variety of favors. “We replace them with public servants who are worthy of high office.”

Helmy, 44, served as Murphy's chief of staff from 2019 until 2023 and currently serves as an executive at one of the state's largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Booker's state director in the Senate. The son of Egyptian parents who immigrated to New Jersey, Helmy attended public schools in New Jersey and then Rutgers University.

Helmy said he had never sought and would never seek elected office and would focus on serving the public during his short stint in the Senate.

“New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation in the whole of the United States Senate,” he said.

Menendez, 70, used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect the businessmen, prosecutors said. 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, 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.

Menendez denied all of the allegations.

“I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country," he said after his conviction. "I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”

Menendez said in a letter to Murphy last month that he’s planning to appeal the conviction but will step down on Aug. 20, just over a month after the jury’s verdict.

On Friday, the state's top elections office released an undated letter showing Menendez had dropped an independent bid for Senate that he said he'd pursue if exonerated in court.

Numerous fellow Democrats had urged Menendez 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.

Election Day is Nov. 5. Certification of the results is set for Nov. 27, according to the governor's office.