Staff Reports
Pressure is mounting for Democrats to return donations they received from a political action committee tied to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is facing a second indictment in eight years. Menendez, who maintains his innocence, is being charged with using his position to help Egypt’s government in exchange for bribes. The New Millennium PAC, affiliated with Menendez, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic senators and House members. Some of these recipients are now pledging to return the contributions and are calling for Menendez’s resignation.
While there is no legal requirement for elected officials to give up the funds, their decision to do so is driven by political optics. They want to distance themselves from Menendez and avoid any perception that they are benefiting from his alleged crimes. Menendez is accused of accepting bribes including a Mercedes-Benz, gold bars, cash, and mortgage payments. Investigators found over $480,000 in his New Jersey home.
Pressure is mounting for Democrats to fork over donations they took from a political action committee tied to @SenatorMenendez, who faces resignation calls from liberals after being indicted for the second time in eight years.https://t.co/FjwFqcG5tl
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 27, 2023
Some Democratic officials, like Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, have already announced their plans to return the money. However, critics argue that returning only a portion of the funds is hypocritical. The National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman, Mike Berg, questioned whether these Democrats believe Menendez is only “partially corrupt.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to other Democrats who have received donations from the New Millennium PAC, but did not receive a response regarding whether they intend to keep the funds. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey has announced she will return her campaign contributions, and Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey will donate the funds to a charity. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, though acknowledging Menendez’s assertion of innocence, still believes his colleague should step down.
Sen. Menendez, who is 69 years old, was previously indicted in 2015 for accepting favors in violation of federal law but the case resulted in a mistrial. As he faces re-election next year, Democrats are concerned about the impact of the ongoing controversy on their efforts to maintain a majority in the Senate.
