Bob Menendez will seek re-election to the US Senate as an independent candidate

 
The historic Democratic federal senator Bob Menendez, who is in the middle of a trial for alleged corruption and other charges, formalized his break with the party and will seek re-election as an independent for a fourth term in the November 5 elections.

This means that Menendez, a politician with vast experience, was able to obtain the minimum 800 signatures required for a New Jersey Senate candidate and will also be able to continue raising campaign funds.

On March 22, Menendez, of Cuban origin, announced that he would not be on the list of Democratic candidates in his party's primaries, which will take place this Tuesday in New Jersey, the last day he also has to present his independent candidacy. .

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Upon making the announcement, Menendez did not rule out running independently to seek re-election to the Senate, thus continuing a three-decade political career that has also included his time in the House of Representatives.

The Democratic senator from New Jersey and his wife Nadine Arslanian were charged with 18 charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty. The lawmaker was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for using his influence on behalf of the Egyptian government and acting as a foreign agent for that country, and was later charged with obstruction of justice.

In 2015, he was already charged with 14 counts of corruption, but the jury could not agree on his guilt.

That case involved the receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish gifts and campaign donations from Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, who was convicted of fraud and sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.