New Jersey
New Jersey's Andy Kim appointed to Senate three weeks early after election win
Democratic Senator-elect Andy Kim was appointed to the upper chamber of Congress early on Sunday following his election win last month.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat, announced on Sunday that he appointed Kim to the U.S. Senate following the official certification of the 2024 election results by the state board of canvassers and Sen. George Helmy’s resignation on Thursday. Helmy, a former chief of staff to Murphy, was sworn into the Senate in September after Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was convicted in a federal corruption trial and resigned from the Senate a month prior.
Kim defeated GOP businessman Curtis Bashaw by nearly 10 percentage points in November’s election.
“Today, I am appointing Senator-elect Andy Kim to the United States Senate so he can begin his term in office before the new year begins,” Murphy said in a statement. “Taking this step will allow Senator Kim to embark on the smoothest possible transition into his new role so he can hit the ground running serving the people of New Jersey.”
INCOMING GOP SENATE MAJORITY LEADER UNVEILS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S 1ST 30 DAYS
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., speaks to delegates in Paramus, N.J., March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Murphy congratulated Kim “for making history as the first Asian American Senator from New Jersey and as the first Korean American Senator in the nation.”
“His election represents a proud milestone – not just for our great state, but for our entire country,” Murphy said. “I look forward to working with Senator Kim to continue lowering costs for New Jerseyans, defending our fundamental freedoms, and building a stronger and fairer state for every family.”
Kim, who will be sworn in on Monday, said it is an honor “to get to represent the state that gave my family a chance at the American Dream in the U.S. Senate.”
“It’s a dream that remains out of reach for too many of our neighbors, and one that I’m ready on day one to fight for,” Kim, who represented New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District in the House, said. “I want to thank Governor Murphy and Senator Helmy for ensuring that New Jersey was well represented during this transition, and look forward to getting to work for the people.”
Senate Majority Leade Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., meets with newly elected Democratic senators, including Sen.-elect Andy Kim on Nov. 12, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
LARA TRUMP ANNOUNCES SHE IS STEPPING DOWN AS RNC CO-CHAIR AMIDST TALK SHE MAY BE UP FOR FLORIDA SENATE SEAT
In a statement announcing his resignation Thursday, Helmy said he and Kim “have worked closely since his being elected to ensure a seamless transition and I have made myself readily available over the coming weeks to support this process.”
“It has been the honor of a lifetime representing the people of New Jersey in the Senate, and I am eternally grateful to Governor Murphy for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Helmy said. “The voters of New Jersey made the right decision in November to elect Andy Kim to serve as their United States Senator. Having known him for nearly a decade now, I can attest to Senator Kim’s great dedication, character, and empathy towards the people of New Jersey.”
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., leaves Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024. (MEGA/GC Images)
In his brief 85 days in office, Helmy touted how he introduced and co-sponsored over 30 bills, including five resolutions that passed the Senate Chamber, maintained a perfect voting record, including the confirmation of 20 federal judicial nominees, “advocated for youth mental health and supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon,” and successfully nominated 48 New Jersey candidates to the four United States Military Academies.
Menendez was convicted in July on all 16 counts he faced in a federal corruption trial. Prosecutors alleged he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for using his influence to meddle in state and federal investigations regarding three businessmen. The now-former senator is alleged to have also helped one friend obtain a multi-million-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another retain a contract to provide halal meat to Egypt.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Menendez asked for a new trial and for his conviction to be dismissed last week, citing what he argued was improper evidence viewed by jurors during deliberations.
How to protect your NJ home from wind: Video
Here’s how to windproof your home to minimize damage, and what to do if a tree falls on your property as a result of the weather
A severe thunderstorm watch looms over North Jersey on the evening of June 12 after days of extreme heat.
Nation Weather Service New York declared a severe thunderstorm watch for numerous North Jersey counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Morris and Sussex among other Central Jersey and New York counties. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m., according to the NWS statement.
In an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Paramus, there is a 74% chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m.
High temperatures reached past 90 degrees in many parts of North Jersey on June 11 and June 12 as a heat advisory also remains in effect until 8 p.m., said NWS New York.
“Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of our region through today, with several record highs likely to be challenged again. High temperatures are forecast to peak into the low to mid 90s across most of the area,” the National Weather Service said Friday.
A Heat Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. across the state except for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
-
World34 seconds agoMexican authorities discover body in trunk near Iranian soccer team’s World Cup training grounds: report
-
Politics6 minutes agoWorkers rip Trump name from Kennedy center facade months after it goes on, hours after failed appeal
-
Health13 minutes agoFormer wrestler, actor reveals breast cancer diagnosis: ‘One in 750 men’
-
Sports16 minutes agoJames Harden arrested in Houston on misdemeanor weapons charge after NBA playoff exit: report
-
Technology21 minutes agoBeware of hackers showing up pretending to be IT
-
Business28 minutes agoLos Angeles has one of the deadest downtowns in the world, according to a new survey
-
Entertainment31 minutes agoDGA’s board backs tentative contract with major studios
-
Lifestyle36 minutes agoLow-resistance tires could cut drivers’ costs while supporting environment in California
