Indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) turned in his marketing campaign paperwork to state elections officers on Monday as he prepares to defend his New Jersey Senate seat as an unbiased.
“Right this moment, I submitted effectively above the edge of signatures required to run for re-election,” the embattled New Jersey Democrat wrote in a Fb submit formally asserting his third-party bid as he stands trial on federal corruption prices.
“The individuals of this nice state deserve a frontrunner in Washington with a confirmed monitor report of combating tooth and nail to ship outcomes, and I intend to maintain doing in order an unbiased Democrat,” he added.
The “Menendez for Senate” marketing campaign submitted 2,465 signatures to the New Jersey Division of Elections, effectively over the 800 signatures wanted on the petition for poll entry.
“It displeases me to should go this route, due to overzealous prosecutors, however I’ll do what should be accomplished to proceed to uphold my oath of workplace for my constituents,” Menendez stated.
The six-term senator additionally expressed confidence that he will probably be discovered not responsible at trial.
“Regardless of what’s portrayed within the press, my innocence continues to be specified by court docket,” he wrote. “As I’ve stated earlier than; I’ve dedicated no crime. I’m extra assured than ever that New Jerseyans and the remainder of the American public will see me exonerated of what I’m being accused of, and I will probably be re-elected to the Senate as soon as once more.”
Menendez, 70, opted towards working within the June 4 Democratic major, which is anticipated to be received by progressive Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ).
Polls have proven that if Menendez is ready to qualify, his help would cut into Kim’s margin over the Republican nominee in a three-way race.
Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner and developer Curtis Bashaw are among the many GOP candidates competing for the nomination in Tuesday’s major.
Menendez is at present on trial in Manhattan federal court docket for allegedly accepting bribes of more than $600,000 in cash and gold bars in trade for favors to a few rich New Jersey businessmen.
He has additionally been accused of acting as a foreign agent whereas in a management place on the highly effective Senate Overseas Relations Committee, from which he has since stepped down, to profit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez has pleaded not responsible to the fees and claimed he is innocent, and his attorneys have tried to claim his wife and co-defendant Nadine inherited the gold bars from her Lebanese household and stashed them on the couple’s house with out his information.
“I stay up for placing these accusations behind me and getting again to work for my constituents,” Menendez stated Monday.
