Rep. Watson Coleman will give back Menendez PAC money

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) says she will return 2022 campaign donations she received from Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) political action committee. 

The congresswoman’s office told The Hill she will be returning $5,000 in contributions she received from the senator’s New Millennium PAC during her successful reelection run. 

“The Congresswoman’s campaign is in the process of returning the donation,” her office said.

Watson Coleman joins a handful of Democratic senators who say they will donate campaign contributions from Menendez to charity. That group — which included Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) as of midday Tuesday — are all swing state senators facing reelection in the next year or two.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) also said Tuesday she would return $5,000 that Menendez’s PAC donated to her 2022 reelection race to charity, per the New Jersey Globe.

A number of New Jersey reps including Sherrill have joined a growing list of Democratic senators calling on Menendez to resign.

Watson Coleman released a statement over the weekend calling the charges against the senator “concerning”, but stopping short of calling for him to step down.

“The charges against Senator Menendez are very concerning and deserve careful consideration when they are brought to court,” Watson Coleman said.

“Under our legal system, Senator Menendez maintains the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. I pray for the Senator and hope he will make the right decision, one that is in the best interests of the State and all New Jerseyans.”

Prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes to assist three New Jersey businessmen and interests in Egypt. The FBI found nearly $500,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in gold at Menendez’s home in a raid last year, allegedly payment for the bribes.