Posted on 08/17/2017 11:02:32 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
When Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey goes on trial on federal corruption charges in three weeks, far more than his own fate hinges on the outcome.
If Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, is convicted and then expelled from the United States Senate by early January, his replacement would be picked by Gov. Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey and an ally of President Trump.
That scenario — where Mr. Menendez’s interim replacement would more than likely be a Republican — would have immediate and far-reaching implications: The Republicans would be gifted a crucial extra vote just as the party remains a single senator shy of repealing President Obama’s signature health care law. Those potential consequences only heighten the drama around the first federal bribery charges leveled against a sitting senator in a generation.
Mr. Menendez stands accused of using his position to advance the interests of Dr. Salomon Melgen, a friend and political patron, in exchange for luxury vacations and hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign support.
Even a bribery conviction would not automatically force Mr. Menendez from office, under the Senate rules. He would either have to voluntarily resign his seat, or two-thirds of his Senate colleagues — meaning 15 Democrats — would have to vote to expel him.
Dr. Melgen, an ophthalmologist, was convicted this spring in a separate case of defrauding Medicare of nearly $100 million.
The jury found Dr. Melgen, 63, guilty of all 67 counts. He faces spending much of the rest of his life in prison, which could add pressure to cooperate with prosecutors, although there is no evidence that has happened.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
He’s a ‘RAT. The fix is already in. Case dismissed.
Seems like it has been years since Menendez was charged...
“Even a bribery conviction would not automatically force Mr. Menendez from office, under the Senate rules. He would either have to voluntarily resign his seat, or two-thirds of his Senate colleagues — meaning 15 Democrats — would have to vote to expel him.”
I’m SMILING to myself and enjoying the my Smile
Even if Menendez was convicted and removed from the Senate, Christie would likely appoint a democrat to fill his spot. I don’t trust authoritarian gun-grabbers.
Unfortunately no, not a Senate seat. Just have to be over 30, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and live in the state in which he's elected from.
If John Corzine is walking around free as a bird after "mis-placing" 1.2 Billion dollars, Menendez can start working on re-election bribes now.
Or, like Cory Booker, NOT live in the state in which he's elected from.
A Democrat senator is on trial? I’m shocked.</sarcasm>
Menendez was the inserted candidate when Torricelli had to bow out back in 2002. Though the deadline for replacing the Torch had long passed, the dems bought and paid a “judge” to rule in their favor and run Menendez.
Where does he live?
If the bribe is less than 1.2 billion he stays...gotta draw a line somewhere!
My choice would be Lou Dobbs.
Well no s**t! The politicians in D.C. are completely isolated and insulated from the punitive BS middle America tax paying peons are forced to put up with on a daily basis.
Lautenberg who I believe was 112 at the time.
Don’t count on Christie appointing a Republican replacement. When Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg died in office in 2013, Christie could have appointed a Republican replacement, but instead he called a special election which resulted in the election of Cory Booker. There could have been one more GOP Senator for at least 18 months, but Christie was running for re-election and he thought it would hurt re-election chances slightly to appoint a GOP Senator. He put his own political prospects ahead of the country. One of the big reasons I lost all respect for him.
On crucial issues I don’t believe any senator’s vote is a surprise. I suspect the big votes are as up in the air as the end of a kabuki play. I believe that a senator’s vote depends not on ideology or convictions, but on what he getting out of voting for, rather than against. So, one more vote won’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things. Especially when you consider that several “Republicans” are left of center and outside the stated Republican core values. That one vote loss would probably have been orchestrated even if the Republicans had five more seats. Besides, look who is picking the replacement senator; Mr. I heart Obama.
When will he be tried (along with BillyJeff and others) for his rides on the Lolita Express?
You are thinking of the Corpse, Frank Lautenberg, who replaced Torricelli in the Senate race, contrary to NJ State Law, with with the approval of the NJ Supreme Court.
That was October, 2002.
And it was when I realized that NJ was hopeless.
I left NJ in May, 2006.
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