News / Politics

US to charge Senator Menendez with corruption

Friday, 06 March 2015 7:49 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 07 March 2015 12:01 PM ]

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

The US Department of Justice is set to charge Democratic Senator Robert Menendez with corruption charges for accepting gifts in exchange for pushing the business interests of a donor.

According to a report by CNN on Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder signed off on prosecutors' request to proceed with charges.

His friend in the case is a Florida ophthalmologist, identified as Salomon Melgen.

Melgen has been a political supporter of the senator during the past years.

In one case, investigators focused in part on plane trips the New Jersey Democrat took to the Dominican Republic as a guest of his friend five years ago.

When the corruption charges first emerged in 2013, Menendez decided to pay back his donor $58,000 for the plane trips.

Menendez has so far denied any wrongdoing in his relations with the donor.

The senator’s spokeswoman refused to comment on the Friday’s report.

Another main issue is whether Menendez was involved in supporting Melgen's business interest in a Dominican Republic government contract.

As a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez has been one of the critics of President Barack Obama’s administration.

The Democrat, who is serving his second full term as senator, also led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2009-2011.

Menendez has spearheaded many anti-Iran initiatives in the US Senate.

On February 27, Menendez, along with Senators Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham and Tim Kaine, introduced a bill that would prevent Obama from removing sanctions on Iran until Congress reviews a nuclear deal.

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