Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) prior to the start of Janet Yellen, Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury, testimony at the Senate Financial Committee hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2025 on March 21, 2024. Credit: © Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Trenton, NJ) — New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez says he will not be running for re-election as a Democrat ahead of Monday’s primary filing deadline — but he has not said whether he’ll pursue an independent bid for office. In a nine-minute video, he teased he’d seek re-election if he’s exonerated from federal bribery charges. Menendez added that he’s disappointed at what he called false accusations against him and asked New Jerseyans to withhold judgment — in his words — until justice takes place. Prosecutors say the senator conspired with his wife and another person to act as an agent of Egypt in exchange for bribe payments. Both he and his wife have pleaded not guilty in the case.
