Report: N.J. Sen. Menendez Won’t Seek Reelection

Embattled Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who is facing federal bribery, fraud, extortion, and obstruction charges, will not run for reelection in November.

“He will not be running,” a source close to the three-term senator told the New York Post.

In September, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing them of pocketing bribes of cash and gold bars in exchange for wielding his political influence to secretly advance Egyptian interests and do favors for local businessmen.

The senator was then charged in January with making positive comments about Qatar in exchange for luxury items in a superseding indictment. On Tuesday, the indictment was rewritten to add charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice against the senator and his wife.

Menendez stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and, up until Thursday, had refused calls from members of his own party to resign. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, a Democrat, are waiting in the wings to take his place in the deep-blue state, the Post reported.

In an interview with Forbes published Thursday, Menendez said he would not resign. But when asked if he would be running for reelection, he said, “Ah, that’s another question.”