Bob Menendez Vows To Fight Corruption Charges: ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., listens as the committee's ranking member, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, ... Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., listens as the committee's ranking member, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 27, 2014, just after the Senate passed the Ukraine Aid Bill in a show of support for the people of Ukraine and a get-tough message for Russian President Vladimir Putin for taking over the Crimea region. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) insisted Friday he was innocent of any corruption charges that the Department of Justice was reportedly planning to bring forth against him.

“Let me be very clear: I have always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law,” the New Jersey Democrat said in a statement. “Every action I and my office have taken for the 23 years that I have been privileged to serve in the U.S. Congress has been based on pursuing the best policies for the people of New Jersey and of this entire country.”

Menendez rattled off a list of things he says he has fought for, such as protecting victims of Superstorm Sandy and “making certain Iran never, ever achieves the ability to produce nuclear weapons.”

“That’s who I am. And I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

His statement came after coming federal corruption charges were reported earlier Friday by CNN and the New York Times. The Times reported that the charges would be filed in the coming month following a two-year probe into “allegations that he accepted gifts and lavish vacations in exchange for political favors for a longtime friend and political benefactor” — Florida doctor Salomon Melgen.

Menendez said the two were friends and that there was nothing improper about his conduct, adding that he wouldn’t say any more regarding the “ongoing inquiry.”

Attorney General Eric Holder, asked Friday by a White House pool reporter to confirm that he had authorized the charges against Menendez, said, “I can’t comment on that.”

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Notable Replies

  1. As a peace-loving American, I hope they send his punk ass to jail.

  2. unlike republicons who seem to circle the wagons on their corrupt and lieing sacks of shit…if menendez is guilty …I’ll drive his ass to prison myself …we dont need our represenitives acting like corrupt republicons … we have enough of that already…see the 2014 elections

  3. Maybe, just maybe, the DOJ did not spend a couple of years investigating Menendez, a sitting US Senator, and decide to indict him on some weak or silly charge(s). Pro forma flap-jawing on the part of Menendez, methinks.

  4. Sure, Bob. Sure.

  5. Here’s the latest DOJ comment on the Menendez indictment rumors as of today March 7, 2015:
    ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and some moreZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

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