Sen. Bob Menendez indicted on bribery, other charges
WASHINGTON – Sen. Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to become one of the highest-ranking Hispanic members of Congress, was charged Wednesday with accepting nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions from a longtime friend in exchange for a stream of political favors.
Menendez predicted he would be “vindicated” and, in a defiant statement before reporters and cheering supporters Wednesday evening, said, “This is not how my career is going to end.”
“I am not going anywhere. I’m angry and ready to fight because today contradicts my public service and my entire life,” he said.
A federal grand jury indictment accuses the New Jersey Democrat of using the power of his Senate seat to benefit Dr. Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor who prosecutors say provided the senator with luxury vacations, airline travel, golf trips and tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to a legal defense fund.
The indictment from a grand jury in Newark contains 14 counts – including bribery, conspiracy and false statements – against Menendez and also charges Melgen, a political donor to Menendez and other Democrats.
Menendez is scheduled to appear today in federal court in Newark. Melgen’s attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
The criminal charges cloud the political future of the top Democrat – and former chairman – of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who has played a leading role on Capitol Hill on matters involving Iran’s nuclear program and U.S. efforts to improve ties with Cuba. Menendez said Wednesday he would temporarily step aside from his role as top Democrat on the committee.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., thanked Menendez for stepping down and said he “should not be judged until he has his day in court.”
The indictment will almost certainly lead to a drawn-out legal fight between Menendez and a team of Justice Department prosecutors who have spent years investigating his ties to Melgen. It will require prosecutors to prove that a close and longtime friendship between the men was used for criminal purposes and is likely to revive the legal debate about the constitutional protections afforded to members of Congress for acts they take in office, which Menendez has already signaled as a possible line of defense.
According to the Senate Historical Office, Menendez is the 12th senator to be indicted and the first since the late Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was indicted in 2008 on charges of not reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of home renovations. Stevens was found guilty, but the Justice Department later dismissed the case and said prosecutors withheld evidence that would have been favorable to the defense.