Spending more than he’s bringing in, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez used his re-election campaign account to pay over $2.1 million in legal fees, including payments to two law firms representing him on federal corruption charges, reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show.
A separate Menendez Legal Defense Fund raised $469,500 and spent $373,223, according to a report filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Donors to the legal defense fund included $10,000 checks from Democratic powerbroker George E. Norcross III and both of his children, a politically connected South Jersey law firm, Brown Connery, and his own New Millenium PAC. The International Longshoremen’s Association, developer Paul Fireman, and John Graham, a Democratic National Convention and the owner of InsiderNJ, also contributed $10,000.
Menendez for Senate sent $654,130 to Winston & Strawn, and $1 million to Paul Hastings. Menendez was initially represented by Abbe Lowell at the Washington-based Winston & Strawn but replaced him in November with a team from Paul Hastings, a New York firm.
The legal defense fund paid $70,000 to Winston Strawn.
Two other Washington firms received money: McDermott Will and Emery was paid $175,000, and Schertler & Oronato took in $300,000 and an additional $178,000 from the legal defense fund. The Elias Law Group received $46,464 from the fund.
Menendez raised just $15,795 from donors during the last three months of 2023 — he had a total of $103,943 in revenues — and spent $2,458,251 – some of it on hefty restaurant tabs; he spent $8,424 for catering at Las Palmas Restaurant in Union City.
That leaves Menendez with $6,198,711 cash-on-hand but has not yet announced if he will seek re-election to a fourth term this year. The filing deadline to run in the primary election is March 25, but he has until June 4 to decide if he’ll run as an independent.
If he runs – few expect he will, despite recent statements that he might – it could leave him short of funds to avoid prison.
It appears that some recurring donors – those who authorize the campaign to charge their credit cards monthly through Act Blue – have not opted out of contributing to Menendez.
Former Willingboro Mayor Lavonne Bebler Johnson, a Democratic state committeewoman from Burlington County, sent $5 to Menendez in three successive months; that brought her total this cycle to $220. She said she’s also making monthly recurring contributions to Tammy Murphy and Andy Kim.
“I’m spreading the love around,” Bebler Johnson said.