DAY TWELVE
Bob Menendez controlled today’s news cycle by filing nominating petitions to seek re-election as an independent in the November general election. He is preserving his option to hold to his U.S. Senate seat if a jury sitting in Lower Manhattan right now exonerates him.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Defense attorney Adam Fee told jurors that Menendez was responding to a constituent concern when he called about a Halal meat contract for co-defendant Wael Hanna. A former top U.S. Department of Agriculture official admitted on cross that Menendez never threatened him with retaliation.
MENENDEZ IN HIS OWN WORDS: “Today, I submitted well above the threshold of signatures required to run for re-election. The people of this great state deserve a leader in Washington with a proven track record of fighting tooth and nail to deliver results, and I intend to keep doing so as an independent Democrat. It displeases me to have to go this route, thanks to overzealous prosecutors, but I will do what must be done to continue to uphold my oath of office for my constituents. Despite what is portrayed in the press, my innocence continues to be laid out in court. As I have said before, I have committed no crime. I am more confident than ever that New Jerseyans and the rest of the American public will see me exonerated of what I am being accused of, and I will be re-elected to the Senate once again”
ANDY KIM IN RESPONSE: “Americans are fed up with politicians putting their own personal benefit ahead of what’s right for the country. Everyone knows Bob Menendez isn’t running for the people of New Jersey, he’s doing it for himself. It’s beyond time for change, and I’m stepping up to restore integrity back into the U.S. Senate.”
DAYS SINCE THE INDICTMENT: 255
DAYS SINCE MENENDEZ’S LAST CRIMINAL TRIAL ENDED: 2,391
DAYS UNTIL THE NEW JERSEY FILING DEADLINE: 1
Menendez filed today to seek re-election as an independent.
MISSED VOTES: 15
Menendez missed a vote to involve cloture on President Biden’s nomination of Christopher Hanson to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It passed 74-15.
And in case you’re keeping track: it’s been 43 Years and 33 Days since a United States Senator from New Jersey was last convicted of accepting a bribe.
DISCREDITING THE TESTIMONY OF THE GOVERNMENT WITNESS
— Menendez advocated for ally’s company because it was ‘good for New Jersey,’ lawyer says from New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “The fourth week of Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial kicked off Monday with the senator’s lawyers attempting to discredit a former federal official’s testimony that the senator told him to stop investigating a New Jersey company owned by a Menendez ally. Prosecutors have alleged Menendez had a keen interest in the company because its owner was bribing him. But Menendez attorney Adam Fee on Monday used his cross-examination of the ex-official to argue that Menendez, as New Jersey’s senior senator, was merely advocating for a Garden State company. ‘He was … saying, I care about a New Jersey business because it’s good for New Jersey — and there is nothing wrong with that, right?’ Fee asked the official at one point.”
SPARRING WITH MCKINNEY
— Menendez trial: Former Dept. of Agriculture officials raised warning about halal meat deal from News 12’s Chris Keating: “Jurors in the federal bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez heard more on Monday from a former official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ted McKinney raised a red flag about the deal one of the senator’s friends was getting with the country of Egypt to certify halal meat. He sent a letter to Egyptian officials that said, ‘It is doubtful a single certifier can handle the magnitude of U.S. Halal certification shipped to Egypt. The existing USB allow certifiers meet all Egyptian laws and regulations.’ However, attorneys for Menendez say it’s within Egypt’s right to change certifiers, referring to a letter from Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture that complimented the Edgewater company when it said, ‘The government of Egypt is concerned about compliance with halal requirements and ISEG is committed to working with industry to resolve this issue.’”
IF HE’D JUST WAITED ONE MORE DAY
— NJ’s Sen. Menendez is seeking reelection despite ‘gold bar’ trial. Could he be a spoiler for Kim? from Gothamist’s Nancy Solomon: “The news of the Menendez candidacy comes just as his son, Rob, faces a tough reelection battle in Tuesday’s primary against Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. ‘This is actually really bad timing for one person in particular, and that’s Rob Menendez, who at this point I think would probably prefer if Bob Menendez, his father, was staying out of the news, at least until the primaries are over,’ (Fairleigh Dickinson University poll director Dan) Cassino said.”
* Bob Menendez is settling into a complex and dramatic trial — by crooning
* Sen. Bob Menendez’s Campaign Staff Consists of… Bob Menendez
* Gold Bars, Steakhouse Dinners and Fast Talkers: The Menendez Trial
FROM THE NEW JERSEY GLOBE
* Menendez will file independent re-election bid
* Andy Kim slams Menendez for independent Senate run
* Menendez chief of staff is leaving for new job
* Menendez will seek 4th Senate term as an independent
* Read Bob Menendez’s statement announcing his independent U.S. Senate bid