Lawyers for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said Monday that they subpoenaed several federal agencies, including the CIA, for documents that could help him fight federal corruption charges.
Attorneys for Menendez and his longtime friend and donor also charged in an alleged bribery scheme, Dr. Salomon Melgen, said in a two-page court filing that they subpoenaed documents from the CIA, the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and the Commerce Department.
The filing did not state what documents were subpoenaed. However, NJ.com reported that the subpoenas sought documents that could prove the government was aware of problems with port security in the Dominican Republic; a 22-count indictment handed down in April alleged in part that Menendez improperly worked to protect a contract for Melgen’s cargo-screening business in that country.
Menendez served as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until he stepped down from that post to fight the indictment.
The senator also previously asked the CIA to look into credible evidence that U.S. intelligence had reportedly obtained indicating that allegations he engaged underage prostitutes — which the Justice Department acknowledged had predicated their corruption probe—were planted in the media by Cuban operatives to smear him. It’s not clear whether that information was requested in the subpoenas.
