The Company Sen. Bob Menendez Keeps

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The Company Sen. Bob Menendez Keeps​

By Michelle Malkin
February 6, 2013

Put on your shocked faces: Since my bipartisan call last week for Democratic women to join the Ladies Against Senator Sleaze-Bob movement, not a single Democratic woman in Washington has signed up. Here's the thing. The brewing scandal involving N.J. Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is not just a "sex scandal." It's a crony corruption scandal of sordid, soap operatic proportions. Maybe if Menendez were a contestant on "The Bachelor," he'd finally command more widespread female attention. For their part, the Democratic women on Capitol Hill seem as uninterested in the alleged...

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» Malkin: The Company Sen. Bob Menendez Keeps » Commentary -- GOPUSA

 

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Granny says dat's yer typical crooked-as-a-dog's-hind-leg politician fer ya...

Watchdogs pressuring Menendez
2/12/13 - Government watchdog groups say Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) should recuse himself from congressional deliberations on Medicare billing and port security in the Dominican Republic.

These groups say Menendez should steer clear of these issues while the Senate Ethics Committee investigates whether he improperly helped a donor who took him on private plane trips to the Dominican Republic. Senate Democratic leaders have kept their distance from Menendez since the controversy surrounding the New Jersey lawmaker has intensified. They have not had any private meetings with him to ask about the allegations swirling around his relationship with Florida eye surgeon Salomon Melgen, according to a Democratic aide. Menendez last week told CNN that allegations he solicited women during trips to the Dominican Republican are “totally unsubstantiated” and “absolutely false.”

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday that Menendez “has given us assurances that there is no substance to these charges,” but he was apparently referring to Menendez’s public statements. Menendez is a leader on immigration reform, a top priority for President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress. It remains to be seen whether Menendez’s role in the discussions will be reduced as the allegations continue to attract headlines. The New Jersey senator expects to have an ongoing role in the daily negotiations on immigration reform, according to a Democratic aide.

Menendez recently told Univision that he has not acted improperly. “Nobody has bought me, No. 1. Never, in 20 years that I have been in Congress, never has this been suggested that this has been possible. Never in 40 years of public life,” he said. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has resisted a call from The New York Times editorial page to force Menendez to step down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Menendez took over the gavel after John Kerry left the Senate to become secretary of State.

Watchdog groups, including left-leaning ones such as Common Cause and Public Citizen, say it would be premature for Reid to take the chairmanship away from Menendez. But they say the New Jersey senator should not be involved in matters related to the Ethics Committee probe of his relationship with Melgen. “He should be recusing himself from any discussions or negotiations about port security in the Dominican Republic,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sent letters to the FBI and Justice Department in July seeking an investigation of Menendez.

Read more: Watchdogs pressuring Menendez - The Hill

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Scope of Doctor's Money Ties to Menendez Exceeds $1 Million
Feb. 11, 2013, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen has given more than $1 million directly and indirectly to Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and committees supporting him over the course of their friendship, new disclosures show.

His West Palm Beach, Fla., company, Melgen Vitreo Retinal Eye Center, donated a combined $103,500 to the Democratic Party committees in four New Jersey counties in the weeks leading up to the November election, the Newark Star-Ledger has reported. The Star-Ledger quotes Union County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo saying that, having been told her committee needed additional funds, Menendez “said he’d see what he could do, and I received a check.”

In states such as New Jersey that do not ban all corporate campaign contributions, federal rules permit party committees to raise corporate donations for limited purposes, such as voter registration. However, campaign finance laws bar federal candidates and officials from soliciting such unrestricted corporate money under any circumstances. “If he actually asked Melgen for this money for these local party committees, it’s a violation of the [Federal Election Campaign Act],” said Brett Kappel, counsel at Arent Fox. “And because of the amount of money involved, it’s a significant violation.” A Menendez aide declined to comment.

Melgen’s ties to Menendez have come under scrutiny amid a federal investigation that reportedly targets the doctor’s billing practices. Melgen has denied any wrongdoing. In October, Melgen’s company gave $25,000 each to the Camden and Essex County Democratic committees, $37,000 to the Passaic County Democratic Committee, and $16,500 to the Union County Democratic Committee, according to public records filed with New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission. Melgen’s company turns up on the filings as Vitreo-Retinal Consultants.

That exceeds the combined total that Melgen, his wife Flor and their daughter Melissa, gave to Menendez directly and indirectly through various channels dating back to the 1990s. These include direct campaign contributions totaling $31,600, contributions to Menendez’s leadership PAC totaling $15,000 and donations totaling $50,000 to the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. In addition, Melgen and his wife gave $60,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee when Menendez was its chairman. And National Journal reported that the two also donated $40,000 to Menendez’s legal defense fund. Add that to the $700,000 that Melgen’s eye center gave to the super PAC known as Majority PAC last year, and Melgen’s indirect and direct aid to Menendez clears $1 million.

Source

 

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Federal grand jury investigatin' Menendez...

Sen. Robert Menendez investigated by federal grand jury
Friday, March 15, 2013 - A Miami federal grand jury is investigating Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez for allegations that he improperly used his congressional muscle to benefit a wealthy campaign donor who was a friend.

The Associated Press reports that federal agents are interviewing witnesses who might shed light on Mr. Menendez’s relationship with Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor who also served as a flight companion on trips to the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Menendez has repeatedly denied any improprieties — which have also included allegations reported by The Daily Caller that the senator engaged in a dalliance with a prostitute while on vacation with Dr. Melgen in the Dominican Republic.

The AP reports that a grand jury has issued subpoenas for Dr. Melgen’s business records, but that agents have not yet contacted Mr. Menendez for direct questioning. AP also reports that Dr. Melgen’s attorney, Kirk Ogrosky, is not worried about the investigation.

Read more: Sen. Robert Menendez investigated by federal grand jury - Washington Times