Sen. Bob Menendez legal defense fund has raised nearly $1.3M, records show

April 14, 2015: In this file photo, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. speaks with members of the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

Facing a federal indictment on bribery and corruption charges, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. reported Wednesday that his legal defense fund has raised nearly $1.3 million since it was launched last year and $430,000 from the start of the year until the day before his indictment.

Menendez has strongly denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the indictment, which alleges he helped his longtime friend and co-defendant, Florida eye physician Salomon Melgen, with his business dealings in exchange for lavish trips to the Dominican Republic and campaign donations.

A filing with the IRS and the Senate covers money raised and spent from Jan. 1 through March 31. News of the pending indictment was first reported in March.

Financial records indicate that in the first quarter of this year, Menendez spent $100,000 for the Washington law firm McDermott Will & Emery and paid a fundraiser $7,500.

The senator's legal defense fund was formed on Jan. 31, 2014, and hauled in about $870,000 that year and spent about $500,000 in the latter half of the year, mostly on legal services, IRS documents show. In the third quarter, the fund paid $158,000 to the Washington-based law firm Coburn and Greenbaum and $127,000 to McDermott Will & Emery.

The legal spending is just a part of the senator's public defense against the Department of Justice's 14-count indictment.

After the indictment was announced, the Democratic Party immediately released supportive statements from elected officials, including Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Albio Sires. Allies for Menendez also launched the IStandwithBob Twitter hashtag as well as istandwithbob.com.

His supporters say the swift reaction was in response to widespread leaks in the media before the charges were announced.

Menendez's flush defense account should not come as a surprise, political experts say. As the former chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and New Jersey's senior senator, he has a lot of clout, said Fairleigh Dickinson University political science professor Krista Jenkins.

"If he beats it the last thing you would want to be is someone who didn't donate to the defense fund," she said.

Jenkins also pointed out that the indictment comes in the middle of Menendez's six-year term.

"There's plenty of time for him to regain his political strength," Jenkins said. "This is not coming during a hotly contested election."

Melgen, an ophthalmologist with offices in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, has pleaded not guilty in the New Jersey corruption case, in which he's accused of funneling nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign donations to Menendez in exchange for political favors. He also was indicted this week on Medicare fraud charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.