Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is considering running for re-election as an independent despite his bribery scandal and upcoming trial, according to NBC News.
Menendez is considering the bid, in part, because "legal bills are expensive" and he "can fundraise as a candidate," NBC's Julie Tsirkin reported.
To have his name on the November ballot as a Democrat, Menendez would need 1,000 signatures by March 25. However, as an independent, he would have until June 4 to collect 800 signatures. As a result of his indictments, Menendez stepped down from his role as chair of the Senate’s foreign relations committee last fall when the scandal broke, but he kept his Senate seat despite fellow Democrats urging him to resign. Many Democrats are vying for the seat come November.
This week, Menendez also tried to claim legislative immunity for four charges relating to alleged bribery and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein said in a written ruling, “the fact that this information sharing is part of a corrupt scheme prevents a characterization of those discussions as legislative acts.”
Menendez and his wife face 18 charges in total for taking cash, gold bars and a luxury car from the Egyptian government and two New Jersey businessmen in exchange for Menendez using his political power and knowledge of sensitive information to benefit the related parties. Menendez pleaded not guilty to four of the charges this week.
In January, the DOJ alleged that Menendez also accepted gifts from Qatar in exchange for public statements in support of the Qatari government.
When Mendenez was asked about his plans to run, he said “I don’t have to declare what I am doing,” he told NBC News, “when I do, everybody will know.”
