The South Jersey Democrat, under a House ethics committee investigation over his campaign spending, said he’s leaving to take a higher paying job at a Philadelphia-based law firm whose public affairs department he’ll head.
The investigation, he said, has “no role at all” in his decision to step down. But his resignation will likely end the probe, which has been going on for at least one-and-a-half years. And if history is any guide, it's unlikely the committee's finding will ever be released.
Though Andrews referred questions about the process to Gov. Chris Christie’s office, the seat would likely have to remain vacant until at least November, when a special election could be called to concur with the regularly-scheduled general election.
U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews says investigation played 'no role' in resignation
). The primary is scheduled for early June. If Andrews resigns prior to late March, it appears that the Governor's writ would set the primary and general at the regular dates, which particularly makes sense in a year where there's a regular election for the seat anyway. Anybody elected "to fill the remainder of the term" couldn't be so elected before September/October anyway, and the term would expire a few weeks later. Or else candidates would have have to crank up a second campaign in the regular primary and general at the same time as they were running in special elections.
