Is it possible that Senator Mendendez is in trouble? It was announced late last week that the Senator is under investigation for corruption by the Justice Department. It seems that the rumors about him helping an Ophthalmologist from Florida named Salomon Melgen. Melgen has been called an old friend by the Senator and a big contributor to the Senator’s reelection campaign(s).
United States Senators should not have to be investigated for corruption or should everyone in the Senate be looked over thoroughly? It seems that some politico is under going scrutiny for some legal matter or another these days. Has the term “I am an honest politician,” come to mean that maybe they are not so honest as they profess to be?
The Senator held a press conference shortly after the news of the corruption investigation surfaced and said “I always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law.” He also stated “I am not going anywhere.” Well Senator if you stayed within the law you will not be going anywhere, but if not well you might end up in prison.
Let’s examine his record- The Senator met with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Melgen’s behalf. This was in June of 2012 to discuss the multimillion dollar billing dispute with Vitreo-Retinal Consultants, Melgen’s company. Then Mendendez dragged Senator Harry Reid into this mess by having him go to a meeting in August of 2012 with Kathleen Sebelius, the then Health and Human Services Secretary regarding Melgen’s billing issue.
To make matters worse, the good doctor made an overly generous donation to a pro-Democratic super PAC run by some of former Senator Reid’s aides. Mendendez was running for reelection that same year and most of the donated money made its way into his campaign reelection fund. Something does begin to stink here and it is not surprising that the FBI started an investigation into what was happening.
Has the Senator made himself a target of the current administration? Senator Ted Cruz thinks so. After all Mendendes has opposed the President on his normalizing relations with Cuba and the direct negotiations with Iran about their nuclear program.
Senator Cruz said, “The announcement this week by the Justice Department that they were bringing charges against Bob Menendez — I will point out that the timing seems awfully coincidental that … in the very week that Bob Menendez showed incredible courage to speak out and call out President Obama for the damage that his policy is doing to our national security … the Justice Department announces they’re moving forward with the criminal prosecution.” I will hope that everyone holds up making a judgment such as this. After all we are talking about the President of the United States and yes I remember Richard Nixon, who was known for his dirty tricks.
I will wait for the Justice Department to formally charge the Senator before forming my opinion on if he should resign or go to prison. While it maybe just a tempest in a teapot type of scandal, it is troubling none the less. No one should be above the law and the Senator will have to wait and see if Justice Department tries to indict him for corruption.
That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike
