Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez remains to be flush with marketing campaign money regardless of blowing via about $2 million as he battles his indictment in court and weighs a potential impartial reelection bid to the Senate.
Menendez’s (D-NJ) marketing campaign equipment had $3.57 million money readily available after elevating about $19,632 and spending $2.1 million between the start of April and Could 15, according to a Thursday filing with the Federal Election Fee.
His largest expenditure throughout that interval was $2 million to Paul Hastings, a legislation agency for “authorized companies.” Menendez entered that interval with $5.67 million money readily available, per the submitting.
Earnings got here from over a dozen donors and included some income from curiosity he gathered from a number of banks.
Again in March, Menendez introduced that he wouldn’t search a fourth full Senate time period as a Democrat, however saved the door open to a run as an impartial if he will get “exonerated” on federal corruption costs.
The Backyard State Democrat is dealing with 18 felony counts on allegations of corruption, bribery, and appearing as a international agent for Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez and his spouse stand accused of accepting gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, and different items from a trio of New Jersey businessmen in trade for political favors.
He has pleaded not responsible and his trial is ongoing. Final week, his lawyer pursued a novel protection technique — blaming his spouse, Nadine.
“The place had been the gold bars discovered? [The] gold bars had been present in a locked closet. It’s Nadine’s closet,” Menendez’s lawyer Avi Weitzman stated throughout opening assertion final week.
Nadine was initially slated to face trial together with her husband. However that has been postponed and he or she has since introduced a breast most cancers prognosis and that she’s going to endure a mastectomy.
The Democratic senator later defended his spouse throughout a conflict with The Publish.
“Don’t be such a bloodsucker! She has most cancers,” Menendez snarled at a Post reporter.
On condition that the incumbent senator declined to vie for reelection as a Democrat, Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) is the clear favourite to lock down the occasion nod in the course of the June 4 major.
What we learn about Bob Menendez’s indictment
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is dealing with federal corruption costs associated to an alleged years-long scheme.
Menendez allegedly accepted bribes, together with gold bars, in trade for helping three businessmen, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, and the nation of Egypt, based on officers.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine, had been charged with taking lots of of 1000’s in bribes, based on a Manhattan federal indictment.
When the feds raided Menendez’s Englewood Cliffs house in June 2022, they discovered a 2019 Mercedes C-Class, not less than 13 gold bars, and $566,000 in money “stuffed in envelopes.” One other $70,000 in money was present in Nadine’s secure deposit field.
The feds say Menendez additionally acquired mortgage funds and paid for a low-show or no-show job and residential furnishings.
This isn’t the primary time the Democrat is dealing with federal corruption costs. In 2015, Menendez was accused of taking items from Florida eye surgeon Salomon Melgen.
The “items” included a Paris trip, flights on a personal jet, and holidays at Melgen’s villa within the Dominican Republic.
His potential Republican foe shall be decided that very same day as effectively.
Ought to Menendez decide to run as an Impartial, he might want to safe 800 signatures by June 4.
Menendez beforehand prevailed in opposition to a slew of bribery costs in 2017 resulting from a hung jury and managed to win reelection in 2018.
A cacophony of Republicans and even some Democrats reminiscent of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) have demanded he step down from his Senate seat, however the New Jersyan has refused.
Polls show him wildly underwater with voters again house ought to he resolve to leap into the sector.
