Senator Bob Menendez is running for reelection as an Independent.

Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, has made headlines by filing a petition with nearly 2,500 signatures to run for reelection as an Independent while facing federal bribery charges. The New Jersey Division of Elections has listed Menendez as a candidate in the upcoming election, as he submitted a petition with 2,465 signatures, surpassing the required 800 signatures to make it onto the ballot. Despite the legal challenges he is currently facing, Menendez is seeking a fourth term in office after serving three terms as a senator.

Speculation surrounded whether Menendez would run for reelection in light of the criminal charges he is facing, which include conspiracy, obstruction of justice, bribery, acting as a foreign agent, extortion, and honest services fraud. In March, Menendez announced that he would not be filing for the Democratic Senate primary but expressed his intention to run as an independent if he is exonerated after his trial this summer.

The senator and his wife, Nadine, have pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery and obstruction of justice. Allegations suggest that they accepted bribes in various forms, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz, for the benefit of certain individuals and the Egyptian government. Menendez’s trial commenced in May.

Jurors are tasked with determining whether the evidence presented against Menendez and two businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, establishes their involvement in a bribery scheme, which included interference in criminal investigations and actions favoring the governments of Egypt and Qatar. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty, while a co-defendant, Jose Uribe, has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the others. Nadine Menendez’s trial has been postponed due to health reasons.

Menendez’s legal troubles escalated when he was charged with obstruction of justice in a superseding indictment unsealed in March. The indictment is part of an ongoing bribery investigation involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar, alleging that Menendez acted as a foreign agent and received bribes to benefit the Egyptian government through his political position. Accompanied by charges of conspiracy, bribery, acting as a foreign agent, extortion, and wire fraud, the indictment adds another layer to the existing legal battle Menendez is facing.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed due to an unforeseen medical condition. Her attorneys cited a serious medical development as the reason for the delay, emphasizing the complexities of the case and its impact on the entire Menendez family.

Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding Menendez, his potential independent bid for reelection has garnered attention from Republicans in New Jersey. With hopes of breaking the Democratic stronghold on the state’s U.S. Senate delegation, Republicans view Menendez’s candidacy as an opportunity to seize a long-held Democratic seat in the upcoming election.