U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, who is currently standing trial on federal corruption charges, is personally collecting signatures on a nominating petition to get on the ballot as an independent, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.
He’s also using a group of old friends from North Hudson to circulate petitions, like Matteo Perez, Sr., a former furniture store owner from Union City. That’s where Menendez grew up and launched his political career as a 20-year-old school board candidate 50 years ago.
Menendez needs 800 registered voters to sign his petition before the June 4 filing deadline.
By filing, he would preserve the option of attempting to keep his seat – or possibly enhance his bargaining position if a three-way race suddenly puts the New Jersey Senate seat in play in November. His trial is expected to last at least through the end of June.
The deadline for independent candidates to withdraw from the race without appearing on the ballot is August 16, giving him plenty of time to make a final decision.
It’s not clear how many people are helping Menendez, if any.
The three-term Democrat announced four days before the March primary election filing deadline that he would not run in the Democratic primary but would consider running as an independent if a jury exonerates him.
The Election Day filing deadline comes four hours before the polls close.
Among the many obstacles to Menendez running as an independent is money: he had over $8.5 million cash on hand: before his September 2023 indictment, but legal fees have devoured his warchest.
A report filed yesterday with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday shows his fundraising has come to a halt and his bank balance stands at less than $3.6 million. He paid $2 million to the law firm defending him, Paul Hastings, and almost $65,000 to Haystack ID, a computer forensic and electronic discovery firm.
Menendez is accused of accepting cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, payments on a home mortgage, a low-show job for the senator’s wife, Nadine (she’s also been indicted), and other gifts in exchange for using his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to helping his alleged bribers obtain lucrative contracts, interfering with their criminal investigations, and advocating for U.S. aid and weapons sales to Egypt.
The trial began a one-week break last Tuesday, allowing Menendez to deal with some personal business and the Memorial Day weekend. It will resume on May 28.
SENATOR ON TRIAL: DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | DAY FOUR | DAY FIVE | DAY SIX | DAY SEVEN