It's been less than two weeks since CNN first reported that
the Justice Department will soon charge Sen. Robert Menendez with
corruption.
The Justice Department is expected to bring criminal charges
against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., involving his relationship with wealthy
donor Salomon Melgen and accusations that the senator improperly advocated for
the business interests of the Florida eye doctor in return for gifts, according
to a person familiar with the matter.
The charges are expected within the next few weeks, said the
person who is not authorized to comment publicly. Menendez has previously denied
wrongdoing.
Asked Friday whether he authorized corruption charges
against the New Jersey senator, Attorney General Eric Holder said: "I
can't comment on that."
Menendez denied the allegations at a press conference Friday
night in New Jersey.
After summarizing some highlights of his work on behalf of
New Jersey and the country, he said, "I fight for these issues and for the
people of our country every single day. That's who I am and I am not going
anywhere.''
"Let me be very clear. Very clear," Menendez said.
"I have always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the
law. Every action that I and my office have taken for the last 23 years that I
have been privileged to be in the United States Congress has been based on
pursuing the best policies for the people of New Jersey and of this entire
country."
In 2012, Melgen gave $700,000 to Democratic senators,
including Menendez. Additionally, Menendez received free flights to the
Dominican Republic in 2010.
Menendez has been accused of assisting Melgen in a dispute
the Florida ophthalmologist was engaged in with health care officials in the
U.S. regarding Medicare payments, as well as urging Dominican Republic
authorities to make good on a contract with a port security company of
Melgen's.
Tricia Enright, communications director for Menendez, said
in a statement Friday:
"As we have said before, we believe all of the
Senator's actions have been appropriate and lawful and the facts will
ultimately confirm that. Any actions taken by Senator Menendez or his office
have been to appropriately address public policy issues and not for any other
reason."
Menendez was first appointed to the Senate in 2006 and was
elected to a full term that same year. He was re-elected in 2012 and serves as
the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
If the Menendez seat becomes vacant, it would be up to
Republican Gov. Chris Christie to pick a replacement, the second time he would
be left with that choice.
New Jersey is one of 36 states where the governor makes an
appointment to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy, and the appointee serves until the
next regularly scheduled, statewide general election, according to the National
Conference of State Legislatures.
Past corruption cases against members of Congress include
one involving the late Republican senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who was
indicted by a federal grand jury in 2008 on seven counts of failing to properly
report gifts.
Stevens was convicted and lost his 2008 re-election bid, but
a judge later dismissed the conviction after finding prosecutors had
intentionally hidden evidence that could have helped Stevens.
Another senator, Democrat Robert Torricelli of New Jersey,
left Congress in 2003, after finishing his first term, amid allegations he had
improperly accepted gifts from a campaign contributor, businessman David Chang.
Torricelli was under investigation by a grand jury and the Senate ethics
committee.
//-----------------------------------------//
It’s good to be friends with Sen. Menendez: Give him gifts
and campaign money, and he’ll use his position to take care of your business
interests.
Sen. Menendez is reportedly under investigation for
intervening with federal officials to help a close friend, Florida
ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, in disputes over Medicare billing and a
Dominican port security contract. Dr. Melgen, his family, and his company
have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Sen. Menendez and committees
supporting him. Additionally, Sen. Menendez took two personal trips to
the Dominican Republic aboard Dr. Melgen’s jet, while failing to disclose them
as gifts.
- Three-term U.S. Senator from New Jersey
- Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee
- Reportedly under federal investigation for using his position to benefit the business interests of a close friend and campaign donor
- Under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee for failing to disclose private flights to the Dominican Republic as gifts
- One of two members from New Jersey named in CREW’s Most Corrupt report
//-------------------------------//
Jerseyans: We live in a state of corruption
Number of those who say trouble is widespread is higher than
any time in recent memory
Sunday, May 29, 2005
BY JEFF WHELAN
Star-Ledger Staff
After a steady stream of scandals at all levels of New
Jersey government, residents now believe political corruption is more
widespread than any time in recent memory, according to a new Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers
Poll.
Fifty-eight percent of the adults surveyed statewide said
there was "a lot" of political corruption in New Jersey, a 13
percentage point spike since August 2004, shortly before then-Gov. James E.
McGreevey resigned in scandal. That's also a 24 percentage point jump from just
a year and a half ago.
Nine of 10 surveyed said there is at least "some"
corruption in the state. McGreevey, a Democrat, received the largest share of
blame, just ahead of locally elected officials. Eliminating
"pay-to-play," the practice of awarding government contracts to
campaign contributors, was identified as the most effective wayto clean up the
system.
The survey also found fewer than one in five residents
believe state and local elected officials have highethical standards.
"We're bordering on being not only a national disgrace,
but an international disgrace. Every day someone else is being arrested,"
said Alfred Murasso, a retired banker who took part in the survey conducted earlier
this month. He lives in Hazlet, where the mayor was recently arrested on
bribery charges.
"Do something about it, for god sakes. We're tired of
getting promises and no action. They keep talking about bucking the system, but
they're not brave enough," he said.
Jeffrey Levine, director of the poll, said the results show
corruption is an "intense and pervasive concern" among residents, one
that has also been expressed in recent focus group interviews. In an election
year with the governor's office and the Assembly up for grabs, he said, voters
will be watching closely to see how politicians address the issue.
Democrats, who currently control the governor's office and
both houses of the Legislature, put through some pay-to-play reforms in the
past year but have resisted the Republican minority's calls to go farther.
Independent voters, the critical voting bloc that swings
elections in New Jersey, were most concerned about corruption, with 69 percent
saying it was a big problem.
"Even though it's not one of these pocketbook issues,
like property taxes, education or health care, it's a fundamental one,"
Levine said. "It's a bad problem getting worse, and voters want a solution
to it."
A series of headline-making scandals, including a crackdown
on public corruption by U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie that has seen
politicians being carted off in handcuffs, apparently is sinking in. About
eight out of 10 of residents said they have heard some or a great deal about
corruption among elected officials in New Jersey.
PUBLIC DISGUST
The way poll participant Adele Berman sees it, politicians
are just looking to enrich themselves and their friends.
"It's pretty bad. I think it's on all levels. Anytime
anybody's looking for a quick fix -- looking to get money in their pockets --
they can find it in the government," said Berman, a retired retail manager
from Manchester. "Every time they vote on something it seems to go the way
of the big companies that are backing the politicians and not the little people."
She said she's also disgusted by reading about public
officials who retire with lucrative pensions.
"Here we are fighting for medical expenses and we're
getting nothing. That sort of ticks me off," she said.
Residents were most likely to lay blame for New Jersey
corruption with McGreevey, whose friends, campaign contributors and appointees
have been subject to a raft of investigations. While 22 percent tagged
McGreevey, 20 percent blamed local and county officials, 11 percent lobbyists,
9 percent state lawmakers, 8 percent party leaders and 7 percent state
contractors. Just 2 percent blamed acting Gov. Richard Codey.
McGreevey resurfaced last month when he was forced to quit
his job at a private law firm amid conflict of interest questions related to
his work as governor. He had resigned as governor after it was revealed he
appointed his gay lover as homeland security adviser despite questions about
his qualifications and Israeli citizenship.
"He's gay, I don't care. That's his business. But the
dealings he had with other people, who he appointed, it was underhanded,"
said Berman.
HELD IN LOW ESTEEM
About one-third of those surveyed said local elected
officials and state lawmakers have low or very low ethical standards, while 37
percent said the same of lawyers and auto insurers. One in four residents said
the same of business executives.
"Particularly post-Enron, business executives are
pretty toxic. In New Jersey you've got elected officials still ranking below
them," Levine said.
Car salesman fared the worst, with 47 percent saying they
have low or very low ethical standards. Newspaper reporters were in the middle
of the pack with 27 percent. In contrast, 77 percent of residents said nurses
have high or very high ethical standards, followed by teachers at 63 percent,
according to the survey.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said eliminating
pay-to-play would be the most effective way to reducing public corruption.
Nineteen percent said the state should create a citizen watchdog group, a
proposal recently advanced in a report by Codey's special counsel on ethics.
Electing an attorney general, electing an auditor general,
limiting campaign contributions and establishing term limits each received the
support of about 1 in 10 residents. Just 4 percent said eliminating dual office
holding was the best way to solve the state's ills.
The survey of 604 randomly selected New Jersey adults was
conducted from May 16 to 20. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4
percentage points. Results among a subgroup of 519 registered voters were
virtually identically and differences were statistically insignificant.