Menendez Bribery Witness May Prove Key to Dem Senator’s Conviction

Menendez pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of public corruption and bribery on April 2, 2015. Prosecutors allege the New Jersey senior senator received almost $1 million in campaign contributions and multiple unreported trips to Melgen’s resort home in the Dominican Republic in return for Menendez’s help with multiple problems with the federal government.

Allegedly, the senator tried to assist Melgen in his dispute with Medicare and also arranged three visas for foreign mistresses of Melgen’s to enter the United States.

With Melgen now facing life in prison, he will have reasons to consider cooperating with prosecutors as they present their case against Menendez.”

Through his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, Menendez issued a statement trying to distance his client from Melgen.

As we have known for the past two years, the issues involved in Dr. Melgen’s case in south Florida had no bearing on the allegations made against the senator, and this verdict will have no impact on him.

Dr. Melgen’s case focused solely on the day-to-day operations of his medical practice and the private care of his patients – specifics of which the Senator could not be aware, nor has it ever been suggested otherwise.”

Complicating the matter is the fact that Menendez is up for re-election in 2018. The incumbent has indicated his intention to seek re-election. Both the upcoming trial and his continued plea of innocence keeps potential Democrat challengers from surfacing and leaves Republicans mulling their options.

His legal team continues to take a confident posture.

From the beginning, Senator Menendez has been clear that he has always acted in accordance with the law and in his appropriate legislative oversight role as a member of Congress. When all of the facts are heard, he is fully confident that a jury will agree and he will be vindicated.”

Melgen claimed innocence in the fraud trial by attributing the overcharges to “billing errors.” Prosecutors and expert medical witnesses effectively proved that Melgen deliberately treated elderly patients for wet macular degeneration, a condition many did not have.

Source: Breitbart