The other shoe just dropped ~ FTR, I do not believe for a nanosecond that the WH orchestrated any part of this ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

New Jersey’s Menendez faces corruption charges
04/01/15 05:18 PM—Updated 04/01/15 05:57 PM
By Steve Benen

There’s been chatter for years that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) would face a criminal indictment, but the charges never came. As we discussed a month ago, some of the allegations against the Democratic senator were quickly discredited, while others simply faded away.

But the investigation into the New Jersey lawmaker continued, and as of this afternoon, the rumored indictment finally arrived: Bob Menendez is now facing federal corruption charges stemming from alleged benefits he provided to Florida optometrist Salomon Melgen.


As is usually the case, the Justice Department isn’t saying much about the indictment, though it did acknowledge the charges have been filed.

This is separate, by the way, from another investigation into the senator’s alleged ties to Ecuadorean bankers, who also live in Florida.

I’d note for context that criminal charges against sitting senators are quite rare. In fact, Menendez is the first since former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to face an indictment.

The New Jersey Democrat will reportedly host a press conference at 7 p.m. eastern, though he’s repeatedly insisted he’s done nothing wrong.

As for the Republican message, let’s not forget that many GOP lawmakers, especially in the Senate, have suggested that Menendez is facing unfair treatment from federal investigators as part of a broader conspiracy, orchestrated by the White House, to punish the senator for disagreeing with President Obama on some areas of foreign policy. Given reality, the conspiracy theory is very difficult to take seriously.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/new-jerseys-menendez-faces-corruption-charges

Money, money money.

But for such piddling amounts.
At least make it worth the risk.

A federal corruption indictment is serious business and the statutes are clear ~ if Menendez truly believes he has done nothing wrong, then he should stay and fight the charges ~ interestingly, the GOPers seem to be trying to protect Menendez while the Dems seem to be trying to distance themselves ~ I predict this is gonna get VERY ugly ~ ~ there are some "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

Menendez indictment shakes up Capitol Hill
04/02/15 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen

Just hours after being indicted on federal corruption charges, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) hosted a press conference to defend himself. The New Jersey Democrat took no questions from assembled reporters, but he struck a defiant note: “I am not going anywhere.”

What’s less clear is whether the senator will have much of a choice. The editorial page of New Jersey’s largest paper, the Star-Ledger, has already urged Menendez to resign.


Part of the senator’s challenge is the fragility of his defense. Menendez is accused of receiving lavish gifts from Florida optometrist Salomon Melgen, a wealthy donor and longtime ally, in exchange for political favors. Most of the details are not in dispute: the senator received nearly $1 million in gifts from Melgen, and Menendez took a wide variety of steps to use his office to help Melgen personally and professionally.

But, the senator claims, the two are unrelated – because Menendez and Melgen have been friends for many years, the gifts and favors should be seen as unrelated. In other words, the defense is that the arrangements were largely coincidental.

The Justice Department’s investigators didn’t find this persuasive. The senator hopes to have better luck in the courts.

But in the meantime, the very rare indictment of a sitting senator quickly reverberated on Capitol Hill.

Menendez felt it was necessary for him to step down as the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the practical effects of this shift are real: The Hill reports that the Democrat has championed legislation that may derail a possible nuclear deal with Iran, and with Menendez demoting himself, his bill is now in greater jeopardy.

Soon after, one of Menendez’s allies, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), announced that she will return all campaign contributions she’s received from Menendez’s PAC. If other Senate Dems do the same, it would signal a considerable loss of support, which would likely push Menendez closer to the exits.

Oddly enough, Menendez apparently won’t face too much heat from Senate Republicans, who continue to suggest some kind of White House conspiracy is unfolding. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said yesterday, “Bob Menendez has been an excellent partner for me on the Iran stuff, and I’m worried now by leaking stuff [from] Justice it’s politically motivated to silence Bob for his work on Iran, which he should be praised for.”

I’d note for the record that the Justice Department is not “leaking stuff.” Rather, it’s indicted a senator. There is no “leak.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/menendez-indictment-shakes-capitol-hill#break

It's obvious that Melgen has a lot of money and that Menendez accepted a lot of "gifts" from him ~ it's also obvious that Menendez was foolish ~ the most troubling of these 5 allegations to me personally are the Medicare and the Dominican Republic allegations, but I'm not sure any of them rise to the level of "explosive" ~ Sooz

5 explosive allegations from the Menendez indictment
The Hill / Ben Kamisar and David McCabe / 12 hrs ago

The corruption indictment federal prosecutors released against Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Wednesday is filled with eye-popping allegations about the senator’s relationship with Florida ophthalmologist and donor Salomon Melgen.

Prosecutors seek to prove Menendez frequently used his office to further Melgen’s business interests in return for lavish gifts. But they also say he did personal favors for Melgen.

1. Visas for “foreign girlfriends”

Prosecutors say on multiple occasions, Menendez used his office to obtain visas for Melgen’s girlfriends.

In 2008, a Menendez staffer allegedly wrote to the State Department to vouch for the student visa application of a Brazilian lawyer, actress and model who was in a relationship with Melgen. Her tuition at the University of Miami, prosecutors say, was being paid by Melgen through his foundation.

Investigators also allege Menendez intervened in 2008 when a Dominican girlfriend of Melgen and her sister had their visas to visit Melgen denied.

“In my view, this is ONLY DUE to the fact that RM intervened,” one Menendez staffer allegedly wrote to another, appearing to reference Robert Menendez. “I’ve told RM.”

Menendez also allegedly helped a third girlfriend of Melgen get a tourist visa to visit him in 2007.

“She visited Miami, where she joined Melgen and Menendez for dinner at Azul, a restaurant at the Mandarin Hotel,” the indictment says. “Melgen introduced Menendez to Girlfriend 3 as the man who helped Girlfriend 3 with her visa.”

2. Medicare dispute

In 2008, Melgen was being investigated for overbilling Medicare for his services as an eye doctor — ultimately, he learned he would be fined roughly $8.9 million. The indictment alleges Menendez went to great lengths over the next few years to try and get the decision reversed.

Prosecutors say he and his staff — coordinating with Melgen and his lobbyist the entire time — arranged for Menendez to speak with two different officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Menendez allegedly spoke to the second official, the acting administrator of CMS, “approximately six days after Melgen issued a $300,000 check from [Melgen’s company] to Majority PAC,” a major political action committee for Senate Democrats. The contribution was earmarked for New Jersey, according to the indictment.

The acting administrator did not alter her position on the issue of concern to Melgen, the indictment says.

Marilyn Tavenner served in that role as CMS between her nomination in 2011 and her confirmation in 2013. During the time of that meeting, Tavenner had been nominated but had not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Menendez also allegedly enlisted the help of the office of then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the complaint says. Prosecutors allege that Menendez spoke to the majority leader’s staff about Melgen’s complaints.

It was Reid’s staff who allegedly set up a meeting between the majority leader, Menendez and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in August 2012.

Later that year, after prosecutors say Melgen donated another $300,000 to Majority PAC earmarked for New Jersey, the doctor allegedly emailed a memo detailing the status of his over-billing case to a fundraiser for the PAC and a former aide to Reid — who promised to “give this to him directly” without stating who she is referring to explicitly.

3. Free flights

Menendez is also accused of accepting seven round-trip flights from Melgen on either his private plane, a charter flight or a first-class commercial flight that included the senator or his guests. For at least some of those trips, Menendez stayed at Melgen’s “vacation villa” in Casa de Campo, according to the indictment.

In September of 2010, Menendez allegedly flew round-trip on Melgen’s private jet with a guest for a wedding and later stayed at a two-bedroom suite in the Tortuga Bay Hotel Puntacana Resort. The indictment claims Melgen covered the entire hotel room at a cost of about $770.

Melgen also allegedly bought Menendez an $890 first-class ticket to travel from New Jersey to Florida, and then an $8,000 charter flight from Florida to New Jersey three days later. The indictment says Menendez was the only person on that charter flight.

4. Dominican Republic

Menendez also allegedly stepped in to protect Melgen’s contract to install X-ray machines in all Dominican ports, which the Justice Department values as potentially worth “many millions of dollars.”

The indictment claims the senator stepped in to ask the federal government to help him settle a contract dispute, and that on the same day Menendez’s staff began to arrange a meeting between the senator and a State Department official, Melgen promised a Menendez staffer his family would donate $60,000 to the senator’s legal fund.

The senator met with an assistant secretary of state on the same day as a $20,000 donation to the legal defense fund, and a month after he returned from the Dominican Republic. Melgen had also visited the island at the same time as Menendez.

During the meeting with the State Department official, Menendez allegedly “expressed dissatisfaction with [The State Department’s] lack of initiative in enforcement of the contract.”

Investigators also allege the assistant secretary sent an email to his staff that claimed Menendez threatened to compel the official to testify at a hearing if the matter wasn’t resolved.

Menendez also asked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop donating equipment to the Dominican Republic to be used to monitor shipping containers, which could have impeded on Melgen’s contract, according to the indictment. But the CBP officials assured the senator’s office that they were not planning on sending additional equipment.

5. Luxury Paris hotel room

Prosecutors allege Melgen paid for Menendez’s room in the posh Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme so he could see “a woman with whom he had a personal relationship.”

The woman was staying at the hotel with her sister, who was there on a business trip, prosecutors say.

The room Menendez allegedly stayed was valued at $4,934.10, prosecutors say. After having his staff research room rates, they say, Menendez asked Melgen to book “either the Park Suite King or the Park Deluxe King” using the doctor’s American Express reward points.

He allegedly told Melgen in an email that the room had a “king bed, work areas with internet, limestone bath with soaking tub and enclosed rain shower, [and] views of courtyard or streets.”

“You call American Express Rewards and they will book it for you,” prosecutors allege he wrote to the doctor in the email. “It would need to be in my name.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/5-explosive-allegations-from-the-menendez-indictment/ar-AAakeGE

Doesn't look good for Menendez.
What a jackass.
Hope he gets some jail time if he's convicted... and more than a token 2 years less a day and a get-out-of-jail-free-for-good-behaviour-after-90-days card.