The senator still has time to withdraw from the race and not appear on the ballot if he’s convicted on bribery and corruption charges.
Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has decided to seek reelection as an independent as his trial on is underway.
According to the New Jersey Division of Elections’ website, his petition to run as an independent candidate was filed Monday and had nearly 2,500 signatures. Menendez needed 800 signatures to gain ballot access.
Menendez in March that he would not run in the Democratic primary amid allegations that he used his political influence to help three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. In return, Menendez and , received , , a Mercedes convertible, mortgage payments and other gifts, according to prosecutors.
The three-term senator has resisted intense political pressure to resign and left the door open in his March announcement to running as an independent if he’s exonerated this summer.
“Unfortunately, the present accusations I am facing, of which I am innocent and will prove so, will not allow me to have that type of dialogue and debate with political opponents that have already made it the cornerstone of their campaign,” Menendez said at the time.
The filing deadline to run as an independent is Tuesday, but candidates have until Aug. 16 to withdraw from the race and avoid appearing on the ballot, so if Menendez were to be convicted before then, he would be able to end his candidacy in time to remove his name from the ballot.
Menendez’s trial could last another month.
