• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

BREAKING: Feds going after Senator Menendez with criminal charges

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Maninthemirror

Banned
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/politics/robert-menendez-criminal-corruption-charges-planned/

The Justice Department is preparing to bring criminal corruption charges against New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, alleging he used his Senate office to push the business interests of a Democratic donor and friend in exchange for gifts.

People briefed on the case say Attorney General Eric Holder has signed off on prosecutors' request to proceed with charges, CNN has learned exclusively. An announcement could come within weeks. Prosecutors are under pressure in part because of the statute of limitation on some of the allegations.

The case could pose a high-profile test of the Justice Department's ability to prosecute sitting lawmakers, having already spawned a legal battle over whether key evidence the government has gathered is protected by the Constitution's Speech and Debate clause.

The FBI and prosecutors from the Justice Department's public integrity section, have pursued a variety of allegations against Menendez, who has called the probe part of "smear campaign" against him.
Click to expand...

One of the highest ranking Hispanic members of Congress, Menendez is a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has become one of the Obama administration's most vocal Democratic opponents on two key foreign policy matters -- President Obama's decision to ease the trade embargo against Cuba and also his effort to engage direct negotiations with Iran over that country's nuclear program.

Menendez advocated on Melgen's behalf with federal Medicare administrators who accused Melgen of overbilling the government's healthcare program, according to court documents and people briefed on the probe. Melgen was among the top recipients of Medicare reimbursements in recent years, during a time when he was also a major Democratic donor. Melgen's attorneys have denied any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors also are focusing on whether Menendez broke the law in advocating for Melgen's business interest in a Dominican Republic government contract for a port screening equipment. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, at the time, considered donating port screening equipment to the Dominican Republic, which would have hurt the contract of Melgen-controlled company.

Menendez, now serving his second full term as senator, led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2009-2011.

During a Senate subcommittee hearing in 2012, Menendez didn't mention ICSSI, Melgen's company, by name, but he did press Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Rooney about an unnamed company who had a contract to X-ray cargo that went through all Dominican ports -- a contract that, he said, Dominican authorities "don't want to live by."

"If those countries can get away with that, they will," the senator said. "And that puts American companies at a tremendous disadvantage."
Click to expand...
 
S

SlickShoesRUCrazy

Member
Excellent. Now go after the rest of the corruption in congress and their use of their political power to further business interests of their donors.
 
N

NealMcCauley

Member
adj_noun said:
And here I was thinking it was Senator Mendoza.
Click to expand...

screen-shot-2011-02-03-at-10.59.13-am.jpg


MENDOZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
 
K

KingK

Member
Good. Fuck Menendez. One of the shittier democrats.

SlickShoesRUCrazy said:
Excellent. Now go after the rest of the corruption in congress and their use of their political power to further business interests of their donors.
Click to expand...
Yeah. Unfortunately quid pro quo corruption is literally the only kind recognized by the supreme court, as APK mentioned.
 
D

Draxal

Member
Welp, I just wish it was Sweeney.

Menendez was dirty, but pretty much everybody in Jersey is dirty, and he at least was doing somethings right.

edit. How did he get out of the underaged Dominican prostitutes scandal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Apple Sued by DOJ for Illegal Monopoly over Smartphones
2 3 4 5 6
270
16K
PaintTinJr replied
  • Poll
Et tu, Brute?
Poll 2
51
3K
TrueLegend replied
The man who owes Nintendo $14m: Gary Bowser and gaming’s most infamous piracy case
2
85
5K
SHA replied
Menendez will be first sitting senator in almost a decade to face corruption trial
12
3K
1.21Gigawatts replied
Man charged after deliberately farting during strip search, saying "How do you like that?"
33
2K
Starlight Lotice replied
Top Bottom