Robert Menendez Elementary School will get its former original name amid senator’s bribery conviction
WASHINGTON, DC: Robert Menendez Elementary School will get a new name after disgraced Senator Bob Menedez's conviction.
Named after him, the school is located in West New York, New Jersey, and will go back to its original name, PS #3, West New York Mayor Albio Sires revealed.
“We’re going to take the name down before the school year starts,” Sires told the New Jersey Globe.
West New York Mayor Albio Sires on name change
Albio Sires, who had PS #4 named for him, replaced Robert Menendez in the House of Representatives after Menendez was appointed to an open Senate seat back in 2006.
It was in 2013 when the school was named for Menendez as a peace offering by then-Mayor Felix Roque, who had endorsed Menendez’s competitor, Republican Joe Kyrillos, in the 2012 Senate reelection race, reports the outlet.
Senator Bob Menendez will resign from his position in the Senate on August 20, according to reports.
The decision comes as Menendez succumbed to intense pressure from Democratic colleagues pushing for him to step down amid a federal bribery conviction, per the New York Post.
Menendez was found guilty on all counts on July 15 after being tried on charges of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Growing pressure on Robert Menendez in recent days
As per the Globe, Robert Menendez informed the members of his staff on July 23, that he planned to resign from Congress.
New Jersey Governor Philip D Murphy is expected to appoint a replacement who would serve until January 3, 2025, when Menendez's term would have expired.
After July 21, when President Joe Biden bowed out from the presidential race, Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, vehemently opposed the decision and criticized those who pressured Biden to quit.
Fetterman voiced his discontent, particularly when comparing Biden's situation to that of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who was recently convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery.
"People pushed out an honorable man, a loving father, and a great president before an absolute sleazeball like Menendez. Congratulations," said Fetterman.
Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer put pressure on Menendez to quit, “In light of this guilty verdict, Sen Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” stated Schumer.
