Who’s Bob Menendez? New Jersey’s senator charged with corruption has survived politically for years

By MIKE CATALINI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Sen. Bob Menendez’s defense against new federal corruption charges against him, his wife and business associates Friday, revealed he’s adopting the same defiant stance he took when he faced federal accusations nearly a decade ago. Menendez is a three-term senator who has held office at every level across New Jersey’s rough-and-tumble political landscape. He vowed to fight the latest set of charges and questioned the veracity of the indictment. In almost the same language he used in 2017 after a mistrial on federal corruption charges, he cast the indictment Friday in political terms and vowed to continue his work in the Senate. It’s a sign, those who know Menendez said, that he won’t be going anywhere without a fight, for now.