Federal prosecutors are planning to bring criminal charges against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) as early as this week, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
CNN reported earlier this month that the Justice Department was preparing corruption charges against Menendez for allegedly taking gifts from a friend and longtime donor, Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen, in exchange for supporting Melgen’s business interests.
The WSJ report pointed to two occasions on which the government believes Menendez took official actions that benefitted Melgen. A court filing, which was obtained by the New Jersey Law Journal, showed that the Justice Department alleged Menendez had advocated on Melgen’s behalf in a billing dispute with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services.
Menendez’s staff also had asked the Department of Homeland Security not to send cargo-screening equipment to the Dominican Republic, where a company controlled by Melgen planned to sell its own cargo-screening equipment, according to the court filing.
Menendez’s office, as well as his attorney, declined to comment to the WSJ on the possible charges. But the senator’s office previously said “the start of this investigation is suspect” and asserted that his actions had been “appropriate and lawful.”
