Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on Thursday did not rule out the potential of running for his Senate seat as an independent following reports the indicted politician was considering the option.

“When I announce, everybody will know what my intentions are, and until then, everybody can continue to speculate,” Menendez said, responding to questions from the Washington Examiner. “When I announce, everybody will know.”

The senator’s comments come after an NBC News report suggested he could be considering a reelection bid as an independent, citing sources familiar on Thursday. 

Menendez is currently at the center of a far-reaching corruption case focused on whether he used his position to enrich himself and his wife. Earlier this month, New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe pleaded guilty to bribing the senator’s wife in exchange for his intervention in a state insurance fraud investigation. 

Menendez stepped down from his position as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but has rejected calls to resign. Some are speculating Menendez could be interested in a run as an independent so that he could fundraise to help offset his mounting legal bills.

Menendez’s legal bills are mounting, and he can only fundraise if he is a candidate on the ballot, the sources noted. It’s not unheard of to use campaign funds to cover legal fees; former President Donald Trump’s affiliated committees spent almost $50 million in fundraising cash on legal fees last year, NBC News previously reported.

The filing deadline to run in the Democratic primary is March 25, and Menendez has not taken any steps to gather the 1,000 signatures he needs to file his nominating petitions. However, if he were to run as an independent, that would give him more time, and he would only need 800 signatures by June 4 to get on the ballot. Additionally, Menendez already faces a crowded Democratic primary, with Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and the state’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, vying for the nomination. 

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The Justice Department first charged Menendez in September, accusing him of benefiting the governments of Egypt and then Qatar in his capacity as a senator. Menendez has pushed back against the allegations against him on the Senate floor in January, calling them “sensationalized.”

In recent weeks, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he was “disappointed” in Menendez but stopped short of calling for his resignation.