The path, albeit narrow, for a Republican to win Bob Menendez’s U.S. Senate seat arguably just got a little wider.
Federal prosecutors are now signaling that they’re okay with a delay of the start date for Bob Menendez’s corruption trial in light of the fact that his wife and co-defendant, Nadine Menendez, is allegedly suffering from an undisclosed “serious medial condition” requiring surgery.
“The Government also takes seriously the unexpected medical development described in the sealed declaration,” wrote U.S. Attorney Damian Williams to U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein. “However, the Government does not believe that—at least at this time—Nadine Menendez should be severed from her co-defendants.”
Menendez’s current trial date is in May.
Primary Day 2024 (in June) is the last day to file for an independent bid for U.S. Senate which Menendez has said he’s considering. With the trial now more likely to begin later in the summer, Menendez will probably need to decide before a trial verdict is delivered whether he’s going to launch a vengeance campaign which could play a spoiler role in the general election contest.
The disgraced Democrat incumbent – accused of accepting bribes from foreign interests – wouldn’t need to win many votes to create a close contest between presumptive Democrat nominee Andy Kim and the GOP nominee (either Curtis Bashaw or Christine Glassner). A recent poll found Menendez pulling 9-points and the race at the top a single digit contest.
Of course, the final trial date decision rests with Judge Stein. Stay tuned.
