Dienst himself has said "....the investigation of Senator Torricelli’s alleged corruption was an extraordinary exercise in journalism; going out and spending about six months on that story working almost non-stop digging and digging, trying to find corroboration to allegations that the senator had an improper relationship with a convicted felon."
" So we were out meeting with merchants, meeting with defense lawyers, meeting with investigators, members of Congress, and meeting with anyone who might have information about the senator’s alleged wrong doing."
"We obtained documents, tapes and materials and it was at a very important time. The election was coming up, the balance of power weighed in the balance and the fact that we were able to show and highlight some of the senator’s activities so that the voters knew. That was an incredible story to be a part of."
=====================================================
Elsewhere, POLITICO revealed that Dr Melgen assiduously courted President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid but that Melgen was unhappy with the return on his donation "investments" to these individuals.
After meeting briefly with Obama at a 2010 fundraiser that Dr Melgen paid $30,400 to co-host, the eye doctor complained that “Obama didn’t even give him the time of day,” according to a source who travels in the same Miami political circles as Melgen.
The source said Melgen also expressed frustration that he couldn’t take his concerns about his questionable Medicare billing practices directly to Obama’s HHS Secy, Kathleen Sebelius.
“He was ranting about HHS and Sebelius not understanding and not wanting to listen to him and not giving him a hearing,” said the source, who did not want to be identified WRT revealing the contents of private conversations.
Melgen (under investigation for govt fraud) paid
$30,400 for the privilege of co-hosting a 2009 fundraiser
for Democrats' DSCC committee then-headed by NJ's Menendez.
===============================================
MENENDEZ IS OBAMA'S POINT MAN FOR AMNESTY
THE PROTECTION RACKET BEGINS HERE The Senate
Immigration "Reform" Bill Protects Crooked Latino
Public Officials in US positions from prosecution for
wrongdoing in elective and appointive office.
======================================================
(Florida) Doctor With Big Medicare Billings Is No Stranger to Scrutiny (NJ Sen Menendez' donor/pal)
The South Fla doctor who billed Medicare for $21 million in 2012 alone, is a generous political donor to NJ Sen Robert Menendez, now under investigation by federal public corruption prosecutors. The millionaire surgeon, lives luxuriously in North Palm Beach, Fla, and travels by private jet, to his luxe villa in the Dominican Republic.
Menendez took free rides on the doctor’s private jet and stayed at his luxury resort villa in the Dominican Republic. The senator was forced to pay back the cost of the travel under scrutiny. Melgen donated over $700,000 to Menendez's PAC......Menendez made calls on the Melgen’s behalf to HHS when Melgen was beset with overbilling allegations.
Menendez advocated on behalf of the doctor during a special Senate hearing into a port security contract in the Dominican Republic. The hearing involved a port security company that Dr. Melgen had purchased in the hopes that the Dominican Republic would start screening every container on every outbound vessel. The Customs agency refused to honor the contract; Sen Menendez urged US officials to get involved. Without mentioning his friend, the senator used his powerful position to urge federal agencies not to donate free port equipment that would have competed with the doctor’s business plans.
Dr. Melgen and his family in the Dominican Republic are powerful members of the political establishment. Dr. Melgen co-founded Voxxi, a Hispanic-oriented news site, which has published laudatory articles about the doctor and the Senator. (Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
============================================
MELGEN MENENDEZ PELOSI
DC Gala--Ntl Assoc of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
L-R--Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ);
Dr Salomon Melgen, VOXXI Chman (now under investigation);
Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CAL); San Francisco
J. Sanchez, US Under Secy of Commerce for Intl Trade,
Emilio Sanchez, Pres/CEO of VOXXI.
(Photo/Voxxi---Melgen's ethnic solidarity web site)