Menendez pleads not guilty to federal corruption, bribery charges

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

WASHINGTON – New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of corruption and bribery.

 

A Newark grand jury indicted the 61-year-old senator Wednesday on 14 counts of federal corruption in a 68-page indictment.

 

Menendez has been released on his own recognizance but was forced to surrender his personal passport.

 

A status conference has been scheduled for April 23, with a tentative July 13 trial date.

 

Menendez’s friend, Dr. Salomon Melgen, was indicted on 13 counts, including eight bribery charges. Melgen also pleaded not guilty.

 

The case revolves around alleged gifts and favors Melgen did for the senator, who in turn allegedly helped out the wealthy Florida doctor on several occasions.

 

The indictments against Menendez and Melgen will likely result in a drawn-out court battle between them and a team of federal prosecutors who have spent years building their case against the two men. Menendez, who is a powerful Capitol Hill Democrat and a leading critic of the Obama administration's Cuba and Iran policies, vowed to fight.

 

“At the end of the day, I will be vindicated and they will be exposed,” Menendez said at a Wednesday press conference. “This is not how my political career is going to end. I am angry and ready to fight. I am not going anywhere.”

________

 

"I'm innocent!" he said, as they dragged him away...

[Valin]

Another note on the Menendez indictment

Scott Johnson

April 4, 2015

 

I took a brief look at the indictment handed up this week against Senator Robert Menendez and Dr. Salomon Melgen in “Notes on the Menendez indictment.” Andy McCarthy brings an educated prosecutorial eye to a reading of the indictment in “Obama’s Justice Department charges Menendez…but not Reid.” There is a dearth of intelligent commentary on the indictment. Andy’s post stands out in this context, but not just for this reason. He knows what he’s talking about.

 

(Snip)

 

The unnamed Senator is an incumbent Democratic woman who faced an August 2012 primary. According to the indictment, Menendez and the unnamed Democratic Senator agreed to raise “approximately” $25,000 for each other (paragraph 54). According to the indictment, Menendez sought a contribution of $8,000 from his friend Dr. Melgen to help fulfill this commitment to Senator 1, to whom Melgen had never before contributed.

 

Six Democratic incumbent women Senators were up for reelection in 2012. Of the six, only Minnesota’s own Amy Klobuchar faced opposition in an August 2012 primary. (Stabenow ran unopposed in an August 2012 primary.) Is Klobuchar Senator 1?

 

Indeed she is. Both the Atlantic and the AP noted Klobuchar’s resemblance to “Senator 1.” Klobuchar accepted contributions from Dr. Melgen and from Senator Menendez’s PAC. The Atlantic’s David Graham reports that Klobuchar will now return the contributions:

 

(Snip)