Washington DC - New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez announced on Tuesday that he will resign following his recent conviction on bribery and corruption charges – but only after chashing one last check.

In a letter to state Governor Phil Murphy, the 70-year-old Democrat said he plans to step down on August 20 from the Senate seat he has held since 2006.

Funnily enough, as Politico's Katherine Tully-McManus pointed out, that just happens to guarantee Menendez another couple of congressional paychecks, which are doled out on the 5th and 20th of every month.

The senator was convicted in New York last week of extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting enormous bribes to perform favors for businessmen with connections to Egypt and Qatar.

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He will be sentenced on October 29 and could spend the rest of his life in prison. His wife, Nadine, has also been charged in the sordid case. She is receiving treatment for breast cancer and will be tried separately.

In his letter, the one-time powerful chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he plans to appeal the verdict and was resigning because he does "not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work."

Menendez has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to resign, and his decision to step down will save the party from having to vote to expel him, which would have been an unwanted distraction ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

Democratic Governor Murphy said on X that he would name a temporary replacement who will serve until the end of Menendez's term in January. Democrats only have a majority of one in the 100-member Senate,

Democrat Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw are set to face off in November for the Senate seat.

Menendez has threatened to run in the election as an independent, but has not yet made a final decision.