Following the trail of Sen. Robert Menendez scandal leads to dead end in Dominican Republic

The shadowy tipster who made explosive allegations involving U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic named names. He gave descriptions of the women, and in some cases, phone numbers and addresses.

Despite those details, the women are nowhere to be found. A week after the claims made headlines in the United States and on this Caribbean island, the alleged prostitutes have disappeared. An attorney who once represented two of the women said he hadn’t spoken to them in months, and then stopped returning phone calls himself. A two-bedroom apartment where some of the alleged liaisons took place is now vacant. Little remains here beyond hazy memories.

No concrete links have been made between Menendez and any prostitutes. Still, the allegations from the tipster, who identified himself as Peter Williams, were serious enough to launch an FBI probe. And shreds of evidence in Santo Domingo show that, at the very least, the women Williams described exist.

Take an apartment in Santo Domingo’s upscale Gazcue neighborhood that Williams said was used for sexual liaisons. In April emails to a watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Williams alleged that Dr. Salomon Melgen, a friend and major campaign donor to Menendez, rented a unit for a Brazilian prostitute named Maria and a Colombian prostitute named Geraldine.

The apartment exists. When reached by phone, the landlady said that two young women named Geraldine and Maria had indeed lived there last year, and said the nationalities matched.

However, the landlady, who declined to be named, did not believe the women to be prostitutes — she said she thought they were beautiful foreign exchange students — and had never heard of Menendez or Melgen visiting the apartment. But she complained that the women had nearly destroyed the unit, even leaving the wallpaper torn up when they abandoned the apartment last year.

“They behaved very badly,” she said. The apartment has since been rented to others and is now back on the market for $1,000 a month.

Prostitution is not illegal in the Dominican Republic. The investigation is also probing trips Menendez took on the eye doctor’s private plane, and the senator’s gift disclosures. Last week, Menendez acknowledged that he had traveled to the Dominican Republic with the doctor on three occasions, and cut a check for more than $58,000 to reimburse him for two of the flights. Separately, the agency is investigating Melgen in connection with possible Medicare fraud. Last week, FBI agents raided Melgen’s eye clinic in West Palm Beach. Representatives for both Menendez and Melgen have denied wrongdoing.

The emails from Williams to the authorities were met with some skepticism, in part because he was unwilling to meet with investigators or talk over the phone. “Williams” — which is likely a pseudonym — said he wouldn’t speak because he was concerned with the women’s safety and did not want to become a celebrity accuser.

But there were many facts the tipster got right. He knew the addresses of Melgen’s homes in Santo Domingo and the exclusive Casa de Campo resort, where the parties allegedly took place, and the names of his bodyguards and other employees.

He identified a Russian national living in Miami named “Svetlana B” who frequently flew in Melgen’s private jet to parties in the Dominican Republic.

“This girl is one of the most regular participants in the activities the Doctor arranges for the Senator,” Williams wrote. “She has traveled with them in the jet, sailed with them in the yacht, and has repeatedly visited the Doctor’s house.”

Public records show that a woman named Svitlana Buchyk got into a minor crash while driving a Chevrolet Impala on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables in 2010. The car belonged to Melgen’s wife. Buchyk gave Melgen’s North Palm Beach address as her own.

Buchyk spoke briefly with a Miami Herald reporter by telephone Thursday, saying she had worked for Melgen in the past.

But Buchyk wouldn’t answer questions on the type of work she did, and was eager to defend Melgen — particularly when asked about stories of Melgen’s alleged sexual liaisons with prostitutes.

“He is an amazing person,” she said. “He was always with his family. There is nothing else I can say.”

Buchyk added that many women would have liked to have spent time with her former employer.

Subsequent phone calls to “Svetlana” went to voicemail. The emails also led to some dead ends.

Williams listed a phone number for another woman, citing her by name, supposedly one of Menendez’s “favorite girls.” The number is now disconnected.

He gave another number where Maria and Geraldine, the Brazilian and Colombian, could supposedly be reached. But now that number belongs to Mileyi Bencosme, who said she got the phone about six months ago. Bencosme, 50, lives in Santiago de los Caballeros — about two hours from Santo Domingo — and said she had never heard of the women. In the past week, she has received dozens of calls from journalists in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and other cities, asking for these women. Most of the calls were in English.

“This morning somebody called me again and asked who I really was,” she said on Saturday morning. “The question is, who are these women?”

Vinicio Castillo Semán, a cousin of Melgen, has another question. He said he will ask Dominican authorities to investigate who is behind the emails.

“These stories about prostitutes have been completely fabricated and it’s audacious to me that these allegations can be spread anonymously,” said Castillo Semán, who has also been accused of organizing parties with prostitutes for Menendez.

Miami Herald staff writers Amy Sherman, Marc Caputo and Daniel Chang contributed to this report.

CAN YOU SAY CONFLICT OF INTEREST? Sen Menendez is chairman of the Senate subcommittee that holds sway over the Dominican Republic.He pressured officials in the US State and Commerce Depts to intervene so that the DR port contract would be enforced, at an estimated value of $500 million.

PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON YOUR FACE--Menendez, Meglen and Dominican Republic honchos have a secret deal that will profit them hundreds of millions of dollars.

Menendez used govt resources, govt authority and his privileged position to convene a special hearing on the port deal---he was the only Senator present but the hearing had the full force of the US govt.

Menendez dragged Obama administration officials up to the Hill for questioning---pressuring officials about why the Dominican Republic port deal had not gone through.

The New York Times quotes Menendez at the hearing: "You have another company that has 'American investors' that is seeking to - has a contract actually given to it by the - kind of ratified by the Dominican Congress to do X-ray of all of the cargo that goes through the ports, which have been problematic and for which in the past narcotics have been included in those cargo," the senator said.

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Casa de Campo where US pols play hide and seek under the sheets w/ the local kids.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Have you asked your Senator/Cong/legislator if THEY'VE ever spent time at Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic?

He dumped his wife for a staff member who became his live-in and now runs a lobbying group. He has a daughter..... and a son.

Many people wondered what Booby Menendez's son was doing as an UNSALARIED hanger-on at the Port Authority of NY-NJ.

The PA/NJ/NY is a notorious corruption hellhole rife w/ cronies/campaign contributors, and that ilk---all of the pol/crud bilking taxpayers/tollpayers for zillions.

Now the Dominican Republic Port Authority deal----and the connection to Daddy Menendez and Sonny Menendez hanging around the NY/NJ Port Authority-----sheds more light on the Menendezs' sub rosa doings here and offshore.

L/E needs to scrutinize this ASAP.

THE GODFATHER---LATINO STYLE

The NY Times reported: The relationship between Menendez and Dr Melgen was well known in various tight-knit political circles.

‘Whenever I see Menendez, I see him with this medical doctor,’ said Bernardo Vega, a former Dominican ambassador to the United States and now editor of a magazine that has been critical of the port deal.

‘In Florida political circles,’ a Miami Democrat explained, ‘it is understood that anyone seeking a federal appointment that requires Mr. Menendez’s blessing should first get Dr. Melgen’s backing.

‘If you needed Bob Menendez, you had to see Melgen,’ ” said the Democrat, who insisted on anonymity for fear of upsetting party leaders. ‘Everybody in Miami knew that.’ ”

(Ever the Latino loyalist even though he profits from living in America)---Dr Melgan started a Latino-oriented Web site that depicted Menendez as a giant among Latinos.

The NY Times quoted a former employee as saying Melgen would often intervene in news coverage, demanding coverage that included praise for Menendez (or else?).

Sen Menendez, right, and Dr. Salomon E. Melgen last February (NYT pic).

You nailed it...the template for this story was established before the reporters left Miami. In fact, someone might ask the Herald why it took them so long to get someone on the ground in the Dominican Republic. I’m not a travel agent, but I’d guess there are multiple flights each day from Miami International to Santo Domingo. It’s also a safe bet the Herald has reporters who cover the island on a regular basis and have a number of sources in the DR. Instead of heading there as soon as the scandal broke, they give Menendez and the Dims a chance to tidy up the mess and make people disappear. Then, the mightly Herald rushes in and announces “nothing to see here.”

If Menendez was a Republican, half of the paper’s reporters would be in Santo Domingo right now, running down anything resembling a lead.

PULL THE PLUG ON AMNESTY NOW---Obama tapped Menendez for a lead role in the push for amnesty--now we discover Menendez has plenty to hide.

Send the word out far and wide--legislators pulling for amnesty (despite Americans distaste for it)---who have foreign connections had better come clean now.

NO AMNESTY UNTIL WE KNOW THE SCOPE AND DIMENSION OF MENENDEZ'S FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT W/ THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT

NO AMNESTY until we know whether Menendez is being blackmailed to push amesty in exchange for erasing videos of his involvemet w/ underage prostitutes.

NO AMNESTY UNTIL WE KNOW whether other amnesty-prone legislators are being blackmailed

NO AMNESTY UNTIL WE KNOW THE SCOPE AND DIMENSION OF amnesty supporters possible involvement w/ foreign governments.

NO AMNESTY UNTIL WE KNOW THE SCOPE AND DIMENSION OF administration officials' communiques w/ foreign govts WRT amnesty.

NO AMNESTY UNTIL WE KNOW THE SCOPE AND DIMENSION OF financial deals amnesty supporters might have with foreign governments.

NO AMNESTY until The Hispanic Caucus is scrutinized WRT its sconnections with foreign governments.

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(1) Americans demand to see emails, phone records, all means of communication legislators have with foreign governments. (2) Americans demand to hear testimony under oath from groups like "Voto Latino" and other Third World pressure groups lobbying Capitol Hill----and the scope of their financing from foreign governments.

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These published accounts are only the tip of the iceberg---to distract us from the massive crimes being committed. God only knows the financial bombs planted in govt budgets that jetstream tax dollars offshore through infinity.

The secrecy should be unveiled. Americans demand Hispanic Caucus, Voto Latino, La Raza, and like groups, come up with complete records of their activities: (1) checks, (2) wire transfers, (3) bank account statements, (4) invoices, (5) bills, (6) delivery tickets, (7) correspondence including e-mail, employment contracts, loan agreements, and, (8) any other govt books or records.

Scrutinize govt bank accounts for suspicious activites: (A) large deposits, (B) funds transferred from one account into another, (C) request for withdrawals.

The media should begin digging----report monies paid to (a) brokers, sub-brokers, (b) family members, (c) mortgage brokers, (d) financial managers, and, (e) real estate agents, brokers, and developers, and the like.

Americans then have standing to sue banks holding monies found to be covering up govt fraud.

HERE'S WHAT SEN MENENDEZ DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

(a) The DR is an impoverished Caribbean nation notorious for corrupt governments and strong-arm dictators.

(b) Despite US politicans' fondness for the "amenities" at its numerous posh resorts, and US celebrities relaxing at posh villas spending big bucks there, the DR has no safety net or state-sponsored job creation for its largely impoverished citizenry.

(c) The one million Dominican citizens currently living in the US send home about a billion dollars annually---which is considered by the corrupt do-nothing DR govt to be a major source of state revenue.

(d) A steady exodus leaves for US shores lured by the endless US gravy train---encouraged by the govt---and the prospect of millions more sent back home.

(e) Sen Menendez's business partners in the Dominican Republic govt have cunnningly figured out the financial benefits to be derived from amnesty---establishing a permanent Dem majority of Third World "pressure groups" exchanging votes for foreign aid.

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IMPOVERISHED COUNTRIES W/ CITIZENS IN THE US: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico (stateside), Salvador, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela.

WHAT IS THE DOLLAR AMT OF REVENUE FOREIGN GOVTS ARE RECEIVING FROM THEIR LOYALISTS LIVING OFF US TAXPAYERS?

WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF FINANCIAL DEALS US politicians plan to exchange for yes votes on amnesty?

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (pushing free-for-all amnesty) needs to come clean WRT sub rosa deals they made with foreign governments.

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