Senator Bob Menendez Stands Trial As Jersey Primary Approaches

Once a Democratic Party favorite, three-term Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has teased the possibility of running as an Independent, contingent on the outcome of his corruption trial. 

According to the New York Post, 

“New photos shown at Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal bribery trial reveal over $600,000 in cash and gold bars stashed around his cluttered New Jersey home — including a stack of bills stuffed inside a Timberland boot.”

Menendez was investigated and charged with multiple counts of corruption, including bribery and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The investigation alleges that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accepted bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz from three New Jersey businessmen. In return, Menendez allegedly used his political influence to benefit these businessmen and to support the interests of the Egyptian government, particularly in facilitating arms sales and securing a monopoly for halal meat certification​.

In Addition, Menendez is accused of attempting to obstruct justice by falsely characterizing bribe payments as loan repayments and by making misleading statements through his lawyer. This new indictment adds to previous charges and has led to widespread calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats and other political figures.

Though Republicans have capitalized on the Menendez corruption trial, early polls indicate that should Menendez decide to run as an Independent fellow Democratic Representative and Senate candidate Andy Kim maintains a lead over his rivals. Could Democrats face a backlash? It seems pretty unlikely in solid-blue New Jersey where hope to flip Bob Menendez's Senate seat looks more like wishful thinking. Newsweek reports, 

"In a three-way race, Kim would receive 45 percent of the vote, Serrano Glassner would receive 39 percent and Menendez would receive 7 percent, the poll found."

Far from splitting the vote, what poll numbers really suggest is that Jersey voters allegiance is to the Democratic Party not to Menendez.