Democratic-aligned group channels ‘What About Bob’ in targeting Menendez

The left-leaning Hold Them Accountable PAC released an advertisement that channels the 1991 movie “What About Bob?” in targeting Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) over his indictment and refusal to step down.

The video, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, poked fun at Menendez and called for his resignation. It spliced together clips of the movie and Menendez’s recent interviews.

Menendez has been indicted on allegations that he and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, accepted over $600,000 in bribes from a group of New Jersey businessmen on behalf of interests in Egypt. The senator has denied the charges and denounced them as a smear campaign.

Prosecutors allege he and his wife accepted cash, gold bars, a luxury car and mortgage on their home in return for assisting the businessmen. The FBI found nearly $500,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in gold bars at his home in a raid last year, according to the indictment.

Menendez has stepped down as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but has refused to resign from his position in the Senate.

In the post accompanying the video, Hold Them Accountable wrote, “Senator Bob Menendez (D-Egypt) is a threat to our Senate Democratic majority. Retweet now and urge Bob to resign immediately.” The post links to a website titled Menendez Must Go.

The narrator in the movie trailer-like video lists Menendez’s charges and the findings of law enforcement. It cuts to a clip of Richard Dreyfuss’s character in the movie telling a cutout Menendez, “Bob, your behavior is completely inappropriate.”

Among other news clips, the video included an interview clip in which Menendez joined “Chat Box with David Cruz” on New Jersey PBS. Cruz asked Menendez if he better served his state if he were to resign now, to which the Senator said no.

According to Open Secrets, Hold Them Accountable fundraises money for Democratic campaigns. During the 2021-2022 election cycle, the group spent $20,000 against Republicans.

In an email, the group said it wanted to make sure its supporters saw the advertisement “as soon as possible.”

“We’re not pulling any punches. We’re calling out Bob Menendez directly for his corruption, his greediness, and his selfish refusal to resign — despite endless calls for him to do so!” the fundraising email said.

The September initial indictment — and October superseding indictment — was not the first time Menendez has faced criminal charges. In 2015, he was indicted on similar bribery claims over his relationship with a Miami doctor. The case went to trial in 2017, but the charges were later dropped after the jury could not reach a verdict.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.