Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey saw his campaign fund-raising tank and legal fees spike in the fourth quarter of last year as he rejected calls to resign following a four-count federal indictment in September accusing him of bribery and other crimes, a disclosure filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission showed.
Donors gave Menendez just $15,795, while he paid out $405 more, or $16,200, in refunds during the last three months of 2023. He entered the fourth quarter with $8.6 million, and that balance threw off $88,000 in interest, so his receipts were $104,000.
But Menendez spent $2.4 million and had $6.2 million in his account on Dec. 31. Legal fees dominated the outlays, as the campaign paid $1 million to Paul Hastings LLP, $654,000 to Winston & Strawn LLP, $175,000 to McDermott Will & Emery LLP, $300,000 to Schertler & Onorato LLP and $200,000 to Jones Day.
