Posted on 07/29/2016 11:30:19 AM PDT by jazusamo
A federal appeals court on Friday refused to drop corruption charges against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), according to The Associated Press.
Menendez's attorneys had argued that his actions on behalf of a campaign donor were protected because he's a sitting senator, but the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez received bribes from Salomon Melgen, an ophthalmologist and wealthy Florida donor, in the form of campaign donations and extravagant gifts.
In return, Menendez allegedly set up meetings with government officials to arrange favors for Melgen.
Both men pleaded not guilty last year.
In February, Menendez’s lawyers argued that the meetings he held with government officials were not favors for Melgen, but rather routine policy discussions that are constitutionally protected.
The court disagreed on Friday, ruling that "the acts alleged in this case were essentially lobbying on behalf of a particular party and thus, under the specific circumstances here, are outside the constitutional safe harbor."
The Justice Department alleges that Melgen supplied Menendez with gifts including the use of private jets, a Caribbean villa, a luxury hotel room in Paris and an exclusive Dominican resort. Melgen also donated to a legal defense fund set up to pay for legal fees associated with federal and congressional ethics investigations.
....betcha Hilda is involved...
No criminal intent. Just drop it.
The new law is here...
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 Health and Human Services Secretary, 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.
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FACTS ON FILE---Sen Menendez abused his position---he used US govt authority and govt resources...... and his privileged Senate position...... to force approval of Dr Melgen's lucrative port cargo deal into fruition. The so-called "port security” deal means big bucks (especially if it allows Central America drug cartels to smuggle drugs into the US undetected ---- secreted in Dominican port cargo containers without supervision).
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Dr Melgen assiduously courted President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but Melgen expected a major suckup for his money---he was unhappy with the return on his campaign donation "investments."
New Jersey Senator Menendez's long-time personal, political and financial ties to Floridian Dr Salomon Melgen came under close scrutiny after an FBI raid last year at the doctor's West Palm Beach, Fla, offices.
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OBAMA NAMED MENENDEZ HIS 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.
DC Gala--Ntl Assoc of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
L-R--Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)--now under indictment;
Dr Salomon Melgen, VOXXI Chman (now under indictment);
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)
This in light of the Wikileaks revelation that the DNC is selling federal offices to the highest donors.
You don’t get the title of “boss of Hudson County” for nothing
Now they just need to nab the boss of Southern Jersey, George Norcross and the Ocean County Boss Gillmore....
But they won’t
“protected because he’s a sitting senator”
This is what’s wrong with our system. Man, would I love to see him in an orange jumpsuit!
The third key player, the man who actually organized that August 2012 meeting, is Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). He’s being protected by a selective Department of Justice, a stonewalling Capitol Police, and a compliant and incurious mainstream media and remains unindicted.He’s even threatening to hijack the United States Senate and force a vote on the controversial Attorney General nomination of Loretta Lynch.
As the Wall Street Journal noted, “Harry Reid was at the same meeting that Justice says is evidence of a crime,” in its corruption indictment of Melgen and Menendez.
With the escalation of the controversy surrounding the true cause of Harry Reid’s gruesome New Year’s Day injuries, this equally significant news story involving Reid has slipped through the cracks, but it may prove as damaging to Reid as any of the many other controversies in which he is currently involved: (Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
What do opthalmologists make? I can’t think of anything a senator can do that would be favorable to this profession.
Dr Melgen and friends.
What a group! Thanks, Liz.
Medicare fraud...Prosecutors allege that he gave nearly $1 million in campaign contributions and gifts to Menedez in exchange for a lobbying campaign aimed at mitigating his Medicare billing disputes.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)
If someone stuck a pin in Melgen, he’d fly around the room “in fart circles” like a punctured baloon!
Thanks for the accurate correction.
Then go after Hillary and Bill for the same reasons: Bribes!
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