US Senator Menendez tells allies he will resign after conviction, NBC News reports By Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has told allies he will resign from Congress after being convicted on corruption charges, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the conversations.

Pressure has been growing on Menendez, of New Jersey, to step down following his conviction on Tuesday on all 16 criminal counts he faced including bribery at his federal trial in Manhattan.

Senior Democrats including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow New Jersey Senator Cory Booker quickly called on Menendez, who has served in the Senate since 2006, to resign from the chamber.

Menendez remained defiant after the verdict, telling reporters outside the courthouse that he would appeal, though he did not answer questions about resignation.