New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy named his former chief of staff George Helmy to serve as interim senator when Sen. Bob Menendez resigns later this month after his conviction on federal bribery charges, the governor announced Friday.
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.
The official announcement was made Friday morning in Newark.
"George is the model of integrity we need to help restore public trust in our state’s leadership," Murphy said in a statement. "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.”
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His appointment means Murphy passed over Rep. Andy Kim, who is the Democratic nominee for the seat on the November ballot, facing off against Republican hotelier Curtis 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.
Murphy said he will appoint the winner of the November election to the Senate before Jan. 1 so they can "embark on the smoothest possible transition into office so they can provide the best possible representation for New Jersey.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, before working for Murphy, he was a New Jersey state director for the U.S. Senate and a deputy chief of staff for the senate. Helmy also worked for American Express and was an advocate for former Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
“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. “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.”
Menendez wrote in a letter to Murphy last month that he's resigning on Aug. 20, just over a month after the jury's verdict. He said he planned to appeal.
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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, 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.
