Menendez math: $58,000 = $1,000,000

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is arguing that the $58,000 he reimbursed to Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen for private jet flights, prior to his corruption trial, covers the almost $1 million in extravagant gifts and contributions that the Senate Ethics Committee ordered he repay, according to report at Politico.

“I think the Ethics Committee was unaware that there were a series of payments that were made before they continued their review,” Menendez said.

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What if Menendez resigns?

It’s not considered likely that Senator Bob Menendez will resign as a result of the bi-partisan admonishment he received from the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics.  NJ and Washington Democrats have become a much more forgiving people since Senator Bob Torricelli was forced out of office after his admonishment 16 years ago.

As Bret Stephens wrote in a Trump bashing piece in the NY Times yesterday, America’s standards have declined over the years.   Menendez’s admonishment for trading the power of his office for luxury travel and massive campaign contributions will likely blow over as the Democrats and their media partners continue their mission to destroy the Trump presidency.

But what if the Russian collusion with the Senate Ethics Committee works and Menendez decides to take a job running Dr. Salomon Melgen’s port security business in the Dominican Republic while looking over his luxury villa?

If Menendez resigns, Governor Phil Murphy gets to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until January. That person would run in Menendez’s place for a six year term in the November election. Who would Murphy choose? Read the rest of this entry »

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Senator Menendez Severely Admonished By Ethics Committee

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics issued a four page letter today, signed by all six committee members, three Democrats and three Republicans, that “several admonished” New Jersey’s senior senator for his violations of Senate ethics rules, federal law and his conduct which reflected discredit on the Senate.

The committee found that Menendez accepted valuable gifts from Dr. Salomon Melgen including travel on private jets and commercial airlines, luxury hotel stays and vacations at Melgen’s luxurious villa in the Dominican Republic without Committee approval and without disclosing the gifts as required by law.

They found that Menendez used his office to advance Melgan’s personal and business interests. Read the rest of this entry »

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Senator Menendez to face retrial in corruption case

Dr. Salomon Melgen, left and Senator Robert Menendez

Federal prosecutors say they intend to retry U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez on political corruption charges. The trial of the New Jersey Democrat ended in a mistrial in November after jurors were unable to reach a verdict. The Department of Justice had been facing a deadline later this month to retry the case or drop the charges.… Read the rest of this entry »

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Menendez donor, Fla. eye doctor guilty on all counts of Medicare fraud

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A prominent Florida eye doctor has been convicted on all counts in his Medicare fraud trial, raising the possibility he could be pressured to testify in the bribery trial of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. Jurors announced their verdict Friday for Dr. Salomon Melgen. He effectively faces a life sentence… Read the rest of this entry »

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Doctor in Menendez corruption case to stay in jail

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Sen. Robert Menendez indicted on federal corruption charges

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CNN: Feds will bring criminal charges against Menendez

Dr. Salomon Melgen, left and Senator Robert Menendez

CNN is reporting that outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder has signed off on prosecutor’s plans to proceed with criminal corruption charges against New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator, Bob Menendez.

The fact that Menendez has been the most outspoken Democratic opponent of the Obama Administration’s policies regarding Iran and Cuba is just a coincidence.

The Justice Department is said to believe that Menendez improperly pressured Medicare administrators to back off on his friend and benefactor, Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Miami ophthalmologist accused of over billing the heath care program. Additionally, Menendez has been accused of using his position the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to improperly advocate for a Melgen owned security company doing business in the Dominican Republican.

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Menendez aides attemp to avoid testifying in grand jury probe of senator, report says

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New Menendez Scandal Emerging

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has another sex and influence scandal brewing.

This time Menendez is alleged to have had an affair with Cecilia Reynolds, the married publisher of the Freehold based Spanish language newspaper, Nosotros, and to have used the power of his office in an attempt to thwart the federal investigation into his friend, Anibal Acovedo Vila, while Vila was the governor of Puerto Rico, according to a report in The New York Post.

Menendez and Reynolds traveled to Vila’s isolated beach retreat on Puerto Rico in 2007, according  NYPost, who report they are in possession of a nude photograph of Reynolds on the beach and another of the couple dressed in shorts with Menendez wrapping his arms around her waist.  The photographs and other documentation were provided to NYPost and other media outlets by an anonymous tipster who Reynolds said is a former disgruntled business partner.

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