If Bob Menendez wants to make one last appearance in the United States Senate before his resignation takes effect on August 20, he has a narrow window before the summer recess begins at the end of this week.
Menendez was convicted on sixteen counts of federal bribery, conspiracy, and corruption charges on July 16, and last week announced that he would resign from the Senate.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told reporters last week that he doesn’t anticipate Menendez will return to the Senate, but some old friends of Menendez warned not to rule out his desire to return to the Senate floor one more time to make his farewell address.
There are some votes scheduled, along with a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday and Thursday; Menendez chaired the powerful Senate panel before his indictment on federal corruption charges cost him his gavel last September.
Two other committees Menendez serves on – Finance, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – also have meetings set for this week.
By not resigning immediately following his conviction, Menendez was able to collect three additional paychecks from the Senate: July 20, August 5, and August 20. That’s an extra $21,875 in salary without showing up for work.
Menendez has not been in Washington since his trial began on May 13; he missed 45 votes while on trial and an additional six votes that occurred one week after a jury found him guilty.
The three-term senator from New Jersey received an additional six paychecks worth $43,750 since the start of his trial and the beginning of his absenteeism. In total, Menendez will have earned $65,625 as a U.S. Senator while not working full-time.
That works out to be a little less than 27.4 ounces of gold.