United States Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who pleaded not guilty to recent corruption charges after being indicted by a grand jury in his home state, has launched a campaign asking constituents to pledge their support.
The campaign includes a video of Menendez highlighting his accomplishments in the Senate and dismissing the charges against him. The charges allege that Menendez used the power of his Senate office to benefit Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen's financial and personal interests and accepted gifts from Melgen:
Menendez also launched a website, where supporters can donate money to his defense funds. According to NJ.com, the senator has already raised and spent more than $1 million on legal bills prior to the indictment.
An accompanying Twitter account started the hashtag #IStandWithBob to urge people to express their support of Menendez. Some used #IStandWithBob in ways that the Senator hoped:
Others used the hashtag to parody and criticize Menendez:
Opting for pure silliness instead of political support, user @NJHighlands tweeted pictures of other famous Bobs, both real and fictional, using the hashtag:
If someone could photoshop Menendez's face onto Spongebob before the trial, I would greatly appreciate it.