Muckraker NJ Sen Drops $$ on Lawyer by Paul Kiel 12.19.06 | 10:37 am 1 Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) joins the ranks of lawmakers spending campaign money on a criminal defense lawyer ($31,528). Read our take on the investigation here. Send Tips Paul Kiel is a former TPM reporter who covers covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.