The New Jersey Senator and his wife have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include bribery and extortion.
Topline
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is considering running for re-election in November as an independent candidate, NBC News reported Thursday, as the embattled Democrat faces more than a dozen federal charges.Key Facts
Citing two unnamed sources, Menendez is reportedly preparing to collect signatures to run as an independent in November’s election.
Menendez would need 800 signatures by June 4 to qualify for the independent ballot, compared to the 1,000 signatures he would need by March 25 as a Democrat, according to New Jersey’s Division of Elections.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, have pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging bribery, extortion and obstruction of justice, which amount to 18 counts after multiple superseding indictments.
