Bob Menendez has raised nearly $275K to fight federal corruption charges, report says

Sen. Bob Menendez raised $274,500 from a maritime union, political action committees and longtime political donors for his new legal defense fund through the end of September to help him cover legal expenses relating to federal bribery charges he and his wife face that were unsealed on Sept. 22.

A donor to a legal expense fund can give up to $10,000 a year. According to Washington, D.C.-based Roll Call, which viewed a report filed with the Senate Office of Public Records, those who gave the maximum to the account Menendez set up in April include South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross and his two children, Alessandra — chair and founder of PhillyVoice — and Alexander, associate at Mid Penn Bank.

"George [Norcross] contributed to Sen. Menendez's legal defense fund a number of months ago out of respect for all the senator has done for Camden, Camden County and South Jersey, even prior to his service in the Senate, his inspiring personal story, and his accomplishments for all of New Jersey," said Norcross spokesperson Daniel Fee. "He made the contributions prior to the Senator's recent indictments. Like others, he is appalled by the content and seriousness of the allegations they contain."

William Tambussi of the New Jersey firm Brown & Connery, said in an email to NorthJersey.com that his $10,000 contribution "was made in recognition of Sen. Menendez’ support of South Jersey over his tenure. Unfortunately, the contribution was made prior to the recent indictment. The contribution would not have been made if the indictment was available at that time."

Also among the 21 donors who wrote $10,000 checks were brothers David and Michael Barry, co-owners of Hoboken-based Ironstate Development Co.; John Graham, founder and CEO of Fairview Insurance Agency Associates, Inc; Michael Perrucci, cofounder and partner of Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor; and James Cecchi, member at Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Brody & Agnello, P.C.

Overall, 35 people and organizations contributed to the legal account.

North America's largest union of maritime workers, the the International Longshoremen's Association, and Menendez's leadership PAC, the New Millennium PAC, also pitched in $10,000 each. VIBE PAC, the leadership PAC of Rep. Tony Cárdenas, a California Democrat, donated $5,000.

Funds received after indictment unsealed

The fund received four checks after the indictment was unsealed, including $10,000 from Betsy Darivoff of Short Hills, $5,000 from Javier Ortiz of Atlanta and $2,000 from Roberto Arguello of Coconut Grove, Florida. The legal defense fund returned a $5,000 contribution from Donald Scarinci of Scarinci Hollenbeck LLC, a Little Falls-based business law firm.

Scarinci said in an email to NorthJersey.com he did not get a return check, adding "perhaps there was an issue with the [LLC] allocation."

"Bob has been my personal friend for a lifetime," Scarinci added. "As his friend, I am there for him in his time of need.  I fully intend to contribute to his defense fund as I did with his last indictment."

Scarinci Hollenbeck’s name appears at the top of the June 2019 incorporation filing for Nadine Arslanian’s company, Strategic International Business Consultants.

"Neither the firm nor I have any role whatsoever in the LLC after the corporate department filed the form creating it," Scarinci said.

Prosecutors allege the company was used to receive bribe payments, including $30,000 from IS EG Halal, Egypt’s sole halal certifier for U.S. imports.

Prosecutors allege Sen. Menendez called a high-level USDA official and urged him to “stop interfering with IS EG Halal’s monopoly.” The indictment says Menendez texted a relative about the business, writing, “every time I’m in a middle person for a deal I am asking to get paid and this is my consulting company.”

The Senate Office of Public Records does not make legal expense fund reports available online. A request by NorthJersey.com to email or fax a copy was denied.

More: Sen. Menendez's alleged actions for Egypt a potential national security threat, experts say

The fund spent $55,209, including $50,000 for legal services at Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears. Attorney Danny Onorato of the firm represents Nadine Menendez, who faces bribery charges alongside her husband.

Roll Call first reported the details of Monday's filing to the Senate Office of Public Records.

Story continues after the full list of donors below

The federal indictment alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Menendez and his wife “engaged in a corrupt relationship" with three New Jersey businessmen, also charged, who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for Menendez using his “power and influence to protect, to enrich those businessmen and to benefit the government of Egypt.” Bribes allegedly included cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low- or no-show job and a Mercedes-Benz. Menendez denies the charges.

Menendez has also reported spending more than $224,000 on legal expenses through his campaign account between January and Sept. 30, 2023, as well as paying more than $103,000 to HaystackID, a digital consulting service and computer forensics company that the Trump Organization hired to respond to subpoenas from New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Menendez had previously set up a legal expense fund when he was accused of accepting bribes in exchange to promote the interests of his longtime friend, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen. A trial on the corruption charges ended in a mistrial, the judge acquitted Menendez and Melgen on some of the charges and prosecutors dropped the remainder of the charges a week later.

That account had raised more than $5.1 million between early 2014 — when federal authorities began their investigation — and the end of 2018. The previous fund received $205,000 from members of the Barry family and employees of their real estate companies, as well as $54,000 from New Jersey politicians and leaders in the Democratic Party, including now-Gov. Phil Murphy, George Norcross and his brother, Phil Norcross. This time around, Murphy and other top Democrats in the state are calling for Menendez to resign.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Sen. Menendez fundraises nearly $275K to fight corruption charges