[CAPTURE PORTAL] 119TH CONGRESS

// Legislative Integrity Monitor

Goblin House Intelligence

Robert Menendez

Democratic · Representative, NJ ·8

Score Components

24 ELEVATED

Connection Density 20%

0 → 0

Donor Influence 10%

0 → 0

Silence Risk 25%

0 → 0

Contradiction Risk 25%

72 → 18

Intelligence Volume 10%

58 → 6

Constituency Deviation 5%

0 → 0

Voting Misalignment 5%

0 → 0

% = weight in composite score · Raw component 0–100 × weight = weighted contribution (→) · Sum of contributions = overall score. Hover a row for details.

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Previous representatives: Albio Sires (D, 2013-2023); Bob Menendez (D, 1993-2006, as NJ-13)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Non-English language at home: ~50% of households (Spanish dominant, plus Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Average commute time: 33.3 minutes

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median age: 35.7

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Unemployment rate: 6.5%

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Public transit commuting share: 27.0% (among highest nationally)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Foreign-born population: ~41% (313k)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Asian population share: 11.5% (88k)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: White (Non-Hispanic) population share: 31% (237k)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Hispanic population share: 51.2% (391k)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Population: 763,596 (2024)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median rent: $1,808

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median property value: $519,200

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Bachelor's degree or higher: 41.5%

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Homeownership rate: 28.1%

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Poverty rate: 11.9% (2024)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median household income: $84,356 (2024)

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey — Congressional Redistricting (2022, redrew NJ-08 boundaries slightly) (2022) — enacted, margin NJ-08 shifted modestly but remained safely Democratic

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey Public Question 1 — Right to Reproductive Freedom (state constitutional amendment, 2024) (2024) — passed, margin approved by voters

secondary

[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (share 0.08)

secondary

No connections mapped

Bill	Vote	Date	Alignment
Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (Farm Bill) — On Passage	nay	2026-04-30	aligned
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 — Final Passage Excludi	yea	2026-04-30	aligned
Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — Ending the 43-Day Governmen	yea	2025-11-12	aligned
One Big Beautiful Bill Act — On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment and Fin	nay	2025-07-03	aligned
No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA) — On Passage	nay	2025-04-11	aligned
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — On Passage	nay	2025-04-10	aligned
Laken Riley Act — On Passage	nay	2025-01-22	aligned
$95 Billion Foreign Aid Package — Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan (April 2024)	yea	2024-04-20	aligned

Last contradiction analysis: Never

platform_vs_vote 60/100

Platform: "Menendez co-sponsored the SALT Deductibility Act (April 2023) to fully restore the SALT deduction, calling the $10,000 cap 'unfairly penalizing New Je"

Vote: on "The OBBB raised the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for tax years 2025-2029. NJ-08 has a "

Menendez co-sponsored legislation to fully repeal the SALT deduction cap, calling it 'unfair' to New Jersey families, and joined a January 2025 bipartisan push for full SALT restoration. When the OBBB raised the SALT cap to $40,000 — a partial but si

statement_vs_disclosure 60/100

Platform: "Menendez's father, former Senator Bob Menendez, was convicted on 16 federal corruption counts in July 2024 for accepting gold bars, $480,000 in cash, "

Vote: on "Menendez secured over $19.8 million in Community Project Funding for his district in FY2024, announc"

Menendez secured nearly $20 million in Community Project Funding for his district while his father faced a corruption trial for trading official acts for bribes. A constituent tweeted: 'What is your opinion about your gold-bar Daddy threatening Hobok

position_evolution 30/100

Platform: "Menendez voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5, Roll Call 23) on January 22, 2025, joining 156 Democrats opposing mandatory ICE detention for undocum"

Vote: on "Menendez has called for the abolition of ICE, stating at a February 2026 virtual town hall: 'We need"

Menendez voted against expanding ICE detention authority (Laken Riley Act) and subsequently called for abolishing ICE entirely. These positions are ideologically consistent — opposing ICE's existence and its expansion — rather than contradictory. How

platform_vs_vote 30/100

Platform: "On April 20, 2024, Menendez voted Yea on the $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, stating: 'I was proud to vote for a bipa"

Vote: on "Menendez voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5, Roll Call 23) on January 22, 2025, joining 156 Demo"

Menendez voted to send unconditional military aid abroad (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan) while opposing domestic immigration enforcement tools. This contrast between robust support for foreign military assistance and opposition to domestic law enforcement

Last silence detection: Never

No active silences

No donor interests mapped

No constituency baseline modelled

No platform commitments archived

No committee memberships recorded

Scoring Methodology

The Capture Risk Score is a composite 0–100 index measuring potential regulatory capture of elected officials. It is computed from seven weighted components:

Component	Weight	Signal
Silence Risk	25%	Topics where donors have interests but the official is silent
Contradiction Risk	25%	Stated positions contradicted by voting record (recent findings boosted)
Connection Density	20%	Mapped relationships to lobbyists, contractors, interest groups
Intelligence Volume	10%	Documented facts from verified sources (logarithmic scale)
Donor Influence	10%	Distinct donors with interests overlapping committee jurisdiction
Constituency Deviation	5%	Gap between district priorities and legislative focus
Voting Misalignment	5%	Floor votes contradicting stated platform positions

Each component produces a raw score 0–100. The weighted sum yields the overall score. Tier thresholds: Critical ≥ 45, High ≥ 36, Elevated ≥ 22, Moderate ≥ 10, Low < 10.

Officials without at least 2 documented facts, 1 contradiction analysis, 1 voting record, or 1 constituency baseline are marked Insufficient Evidence and excluded from numeric ranking.

Contradiction findings from the last 180 days receive a recency boost. High-severity contradictions (score ≥ 70) receive additional weight.

Full methodology: /congress/methodology

View Full Entity Profile →