Bob Menendez in trouble? Dem Group Loses $ 3 Million in NJ Senate Race

The announcement of the senatorial majority PAC, a group linked to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, comes a day after Hillary Clinton staged a fundraiser for Menendez in Jersey City and Hugin launched a advertising that raises unproven allegations of prostitution against Menendez.

Recent polls have shown that Menendez had a lead of 2 to 11 percentage points. He is still favored by handicappers in a state where Clinton beat Trump by 14 points.

But Menendez has higher negative ratings than favorable ratings, the consequences of the trial he faced last year for corruption charges that resulted in a partial acquittal, followed by a warning from the ethics committee. Hugin and a super PAC that supports him spent most of the year reminding voters of these accusations.

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Hugin revealed Monday that he had granted an additional $ 8.5 million to his campaign from July to September, bringing his total cash flow to $ 24 million until September 30th. The contributors granted Hugin an additional $ 1 million during the quarter, bringing his total contributions to people other than himself. to $ 2.2 million.

Menendez revealed that he had raised $ 2.1 million during the quarter, but he spent $ 2.9 million, or less in three months, compared to the spending expected by the Senate majority over next three weeks.

As a super PAC, Senate majority PACs can receive unlimited contributions as long as they are not coordinated with the campaigns they support. Already, outside groups have spent more than $ 8.1 million, including $ 3.6 million from a super PAC supporting Hugin, Integrity NJ and $ 4.4 million from two Menendez, Leadership Alliance and Patients for Affordable supporters. Drugs Action.

PAC's majority Senate advertising covers a field that has already been well treated by Menendez and others who support him, trying to link Hugin to President Donald Trump and highlighting how he became so rich in leading Celgene Corp.

The article continues below the video

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Republican Senate candidate Bob Hugin talks about his roots in New Jersey and explains why he decided to run against Democratic Senator Bob Menendez.
Herb Jackson, Washington correspondent, @HerbNJDC

PAC spokesman Majority of the Senate, Chris Hayden, said the ad was designed to offset the benefit of Hugin's spending. Until August 31, the committee had raised $ 96 million and had $ 29 million left to spend.

Hayden denied that it was a sign that Menendez was having problems and that resources were going to New Jersey that could be applied to senators standing in states that Trump had won in 2016.

"We thought it was time to let voters know who Bob Hugin was," Hayden said. "We are spending everywhere and it has no impact on the spending of other states."

Republicans have seized the news, however.

"New Jersey has officially become a four-alarm fire for the National Democrats and they are running to save the disgraced senator, Bob Menendez," said Bob Salera, spokesman for the National Republican Senators Committee.

Salera said the campaign committee of the Democratic Senators, his counterpart of the group, had already announced that he would spend a million dollars for Menendez.

Steve Sandberg, a Menendez spokesperson, said: "It's a recognition that Bob Hugin is willing to spend his almost unlimited fortune on ripping off cancer patients to deceive voters in New Jersey and gain seat in the US Senate ".

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