Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) now faces corruption charges stemming from a case at least two years old. But already many supporters and opponents alike wonder: why now?

Menendez, the doctor…

Senator Robert Menendez, D-NJ. Photo: The United States Senate.

The first report of Senator Menendez’ troubles came yesterday afternoon (March 6, 2015) from CNN. (The New York Times picked up the story later that evening.) According to CNN’s reporters, the charges stem from the senstor’s relationship with an ophthalmologist in Palm Beach, Florida. This doctor, Salomon Melgen, has given large sums to Menendez to help him in his Senate campaigns. In return, so the charges say, the senator helped Dr. Melgen with his “business interests.” Specifically, the federal Medicare office accused Melgen of overbilling for eye services. Senator Menendez “advocated” for Melgen with that office. Menendez also helped stop the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency from donating X-ray port screening equipment to the Dominican Republic. Dr. Melgen then sold such equipment to the Dominican government.

Two years ago, Senator Menendez took several air trips to the Dominican Republic, as a guest of Dr. Melgen. He later reimbursed the doctor $58,000 to pay for the flights.

At the time, witnesses alleged something uglier on the senator’s part: while in the Dominican Republic, he hired two underage prostitutes. But the charges deal strictly with Menendez using his office to advocate improperly for a donor.

According to the CNN report, the Attorney General himself authorized the Public Integrity Office to move against Menendez.

…and political payback?

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But these charges do not come in a vacuum. Activist Roseann Salanitri, six years ago, sought to recall Robert Menendez from the Senate. Her grounds: that Menendez willfully supported unconstitutional laws, thus breaking his oath “to support and defend the Constitution.” Yesterday she told CNAV she does not believe the Justice Department decided yesterday to charge Menendez, merely because the case took two years to investigate. She wondered why the Justice Department would necessarily take so long to investigate a sitting Senator. She also asserted anyone in New Jersey who cared to know, has known of Robert Menendez’ unsavory reputation for many years before then.

“Menendez turned on Obama,” she said. “That’s why this is happening today.” She cited Menendez opposing Obama on normalizing relations with Cuba. (Menendez’ family fled Cuba in the early years of the Castro revolution.) She also cited Menendez speaking to the America-Israel Political Action Committee the night (March 2) before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel addressed a joint session of Congress. Menendez told them he would not let anyone, political friend or foe, “bully” him on support for Israel and opposition to Muslim terrorism. Before then, he publicly criticized Obama for cutting a deal with Iran without consulting the Senate, and for opposing economic sanctions against that country.

Salanitri has no sympathy for Menendez. She suggested Menendez and Obama deserve each other. (See below for a listing of her statement when the “jailbait” talk first surfaced.)

Menendez, for his part, vows to fight the charges. He insisted he has “always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law.” He further said he always fought for those who could not defend themselves. “That is who I am. And I’m not going anywhere.”

An earlier New Jersey Senator, Robert G. Torricelli, took a similar tone when he stood accused of official corruption. He ended up declining to seek re-election that year (2002).

Robert Menendez joined the Senate in 2005, after then-Senator Jon S. Corzine became governor. He won a full term in 2006. An attempt to recall him from the Senate in 2010 came to nothing. The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled United States Senators cannot be subject to recall because the U.S. Constitution does not provide for that. He won re-election to the Senate in 2012.

Reprinted from examiner.com

Related:

Robert Menendez under scrutiny

Robert Menendez skates on thin ice

Robert Menendez exploits Newtown shootings

Menendez allegations: a statement

Menendez: 25 years of liberalism and lies

A series of articles at examiner.com based on Robert Menendez, his career, and the recall effort against him.

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