(ConservativeInsider.org) – Indicted Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who faces bribery charges, is now running independently for the Senate in the 2024 elections.
Earlier this year, Menendez announced that he would not seek reelection on the Democratic ticket but did not dismiss the possibility of an independent run. He has now completed all the necessary paperwork to run as an independent candidate for the Senate.
Menendez’s independent bid also opens the possibility for the Republican Party to clinch this seat for the first time in 52 years. New Jersey Senate seats are considered Democratic strongholds, but insiders believe that Menendez’s independent candidacy could sway many voters away from Andy Kim, who has won the Democratic nomination for the Senate elections.
Republican Senator Steve Daines has acknowledged that Menendez’s involvement as an independent candidate will make the Senate race more interesting.
The disgraced senator and his wife Nadine are facing criminal charges for allegedly abusing their power to help businesses in return for hefty monetary benefits to fund their luxurious lifestyle.
He is also accused of assisting a business in gaining explicit rights to export halal meat to Egypt during his tenure as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Meanwhile, the senator’s legal team claims that he was not involved in any bribery scheme and that his actions were to serve his constituents. The attorneys also noted that the senator and his wife had a long-standing habit of storing cash and gold in their homes instead of using banks and that all of their belongings were absolutely legal.
While Menendez was involved in a separate criminal case before his election in 2018, he was eventually acquitted and won his seat with the backing of Democratic heavyweights. However, his top allies started turning against him after his indictment last year and called for his resignation.
The embattled three-term senator claims that he served New Jersey in many ways, including his relentless work during the coronavirus pandemic and Superstorm Sandy.
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