Sen. Bob Menendez departs a New York City court after pleading not guilty to new charges on October 23, 2023, in New York City.
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In September, Sen. Bob Menendez received a federal indictment alleging he’d accepted foreign bribes.Since then, his campaign reported raising less than $16,000 and refunding at least $16,200. Conversely, his legal defense fund has raised just under $500,000, but spent most of it.
Sen. Bob Menendez’s reelection campaign is in trouble after he failed to raise even $16,000 after he was indicted and alleged to have accepted bribes from foreign countries.
Menendez filed his campaign’s end-of-year report to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, revealing the minuscule fundraising figure. The filing notes that after considering the number of donations his campaign had to refund post-indictment, its cash flow was negative in the fourth quarter of 2023 by $405.
Politico added Thursday morning that the senator’s legal defense fund received a significant amount more than his actual campaign, a little less than $500,000.
As Menendez and his wife have fought against the federal charges they’ve been pinned with, his defense fund has already burned through nearly 80% of its coffers, the vast majority on “data services” and legal fees.
In September 2023, the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York indicted the senator for providing “sensitive US government information” to Egyptian businessmen. His wife, Nadine, was also charged in the filing as well, whom prosecutors said received a “low-or-no-show job” from one of the businesses involved.
After obtaining a search warrant on their home, investigators reported finding at least $480,000 in cash hidden around the home, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, all of which prosecutors said were obtained through the alleged scheme.
In January, prosecutors also added they believe Menendez accepted gifts from the Qatari royal family in exchange for work as well.
Shortly after the original indictment was dropped against Menendez and his wife, the senator faced another existential crisis: retaining his job in the long run after facing a primary challenge from Rep. Andy Kim.
Kim, who joined Congress in 2019, said running for Senate was “not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity.”