There are innumerable superseding indictments against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). The New Jersey Democrat found himself fighting for his political life when federal agents raided his home, finding gold bars and over $400,000 in cash strewn about the residence. Some money was tucked into clothing. Menendez was also charged with failure to register as a foreign agent of the Egyptian government. Now, Qatar is in the mix.
#BREAKING:
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) March 21, 2024
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D) will not file for re-election in the Democratic primary but is keeping the door open to running as an independent in the general election if his legal issues are resolved. pic.twitter.com/zrQnW5A8JA
Menendez has survived previous corruption charges, but the never-ending stream of evidence filed against him has led to his colleagues mostly abandoning him. The gold bars appear to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. He has vowed to beat the charges and prove his innocence, but it’s clear he knows he won’t have the party's backing. He announced he won’t be running for re-election as a Democrat (via NYT):
Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey announced on Thursday that he would not run for re-election as a Democrat this year, bowing to intense political pressure and federal charges that place him at the center of an international bribery scheme.
But in a nine-minute video posted on social media, Mr. Menendez, 70, reiterated that he would not resign and left the door open to running as a political independent if he is exonerated at a trial scheduled for May.
“I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election,” he said.
Still, Mr. Menendez’s decision to forgo the competition for his party’s nomination amounted to a painful concession, after months of near total defiance, that his political career was teetering on the edge.
He was all but certain to lose the June primary for his own seat. Nearly every Democratic ally has abandoned him in recent months, and two prominent Democrats — Representative Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy, the wife of Gov. Philip D. Murphy — are trouncing him in primary polls.
[…]
Nearly 75 percent of New Jersey voters disapprove of Mr. Menendez’s Senate performance, a recent Monmouth University poll found — roughly the same percentage that consider him guilty.
Let’s temper expectations here. The Times does include a plausible scenario of a Republican possibly picking up the seat as Menendez would siphon votes away from the Democratic nominee, whoever that may be. Then again, it’s not like there have been any decent Republican candidates that have risen to the occasion lately. Most Democrats feel Menendez’s career is over. They’re probably right, but Boss Bob isn’t quitting either way. If he wins, so bet it. If he loses and takes down his party with it as revenge for their abandonment, that’s a win for him, too. The man is ready to self-immolate. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has called for Menendez’s expulsion, probably had the best reaction to the news that his Senate colleague would be running again potentially as an independent:
dibs on your parking space https://t.co/o9QUhIbKyF
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 21, 2024
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