Senator Bob Menendez makes his candidacy as an independent official
In the middle of the judicial process for corruption, he presented "Menéndez for the Senate" and endangers the New Jersey Democratic seat for the Upper House.
El senador demócrata Bob Menéndez, acusado de corrupción y de fungir como agente extranjero. (AFP)
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, on trial for corruption, has registered for re-election as an independent in a move that threatens the Democratic Party's control of the Senate.
After the scandal in which he was involved and which led to a judicial process, Menendez refused to resign and the Democrats put forward another candidate for his seat. Now, after obtaining the necessary signatures to register his candidacy and make it effective in recent hours; The showdown may divide Democratic voters in the New Jersey stronghold in favor of a Republican candidate.
The senator, accused of extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting bribes to do favors for businessmen with connections in Egypt and Qatar, registered to run under the party slogan "Menendez for the Senate." The 70-year-old politician obtained 2,465 signatures for his independent candidacy, more than the 800 needed, according to the state's list of candidates.
Joe Biden's Democratic Party enjoys a slim majority in the Senate (51-49), with 10 Republican and 23 Democratic seats up for grabs, including Menendez's in New Jersey.
The senator, still in office, was the chairman of the influential Foreign Affairs Committee until charges were filed against him last September. The trial is being held in federal court in Manhattan alongside two businessmen: Wael Hana, an American originally from Egypt, and Fred Daibes, a real estate developer. A third businessman, insurance broker Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March and has been cooperating with justice.
On the other hand, the senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, 57, will be tried separately in July. The Senator's defense has already tried to blame Nadine Menendez for the acts allegedly committed by her husband.
A senator since 2006 and previously a representative of the House of Representatives for 14 years, Menendez, whose parents emigrated from Cuba to the United States, has been a Democratic pillar in Congress for the last three decades. Now, the most serious charges he faces can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
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