Menendez, Perry, and Mastriano follow a Trumpian example in the face of political scandals | Editorial
Like the 45th president, each has been undeterred and unrepentant amid allegations of impropriety, wrongdoing, and abuse of their authority.
There was a time when disgraced elected officials would at least resign for the sake of the institution and the public they served. But instead, taxpayers are stuck for now with the likes of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., York), and State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin).
Menendez was charged with taking bribes in return for using his power to benefit foreign governments. Perry and Mastriano violated their sworn oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, when they aided and abetted former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
None of them have any business serving in a government the authorities say they worked to subvert. Yet, despite allegations that they abused their office, each man continues to pocket their six-figure, taxpayer-funded salaries.
Have they no sense of decency? That question used to mean something. But many of today’s elected officials are shameless.
The poster child, of course, is Trump. He bragged about grabbing women by their genitals and was found guilty of raping a woman. Trump was impeached twice and indicted four times, including for taking classified documents and inciting an insurrection. Despite a long list of transgressions, he remains undeterred and unrepentant.
Now, Trump is back putting the country through hell as he runs for president again. He never takes responsibility and always blames someone else.
Other politicians see how voters tolerate such abuses and now follow Trump’s lead. They have no regard for the corrosive effects they are having on government institutions and civil society.
Take Menendez (please). He and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, were indicted in September for accepting gold bars, a luxury car, and tens of thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for using his power to help three businessmen.
In October, a superseding indictment accused Menendez of taking bribes in exchange for providing “sensitive U.S. government information” that found its way to Egyptian military and intelligence officials, and ghostwriting a letter to Senate colleagues urging them to lift a hold on $300 million in U.S. aid to Egypt.
Last week, another superseding indictment accused Menendez of further abusing his office to help a New Jersey developer obtain millions of dollars in investment from a fund with ties to the government of Qatar.
Most normal humans would walk away in disgrace, especially after dozens of their colleagues called on them to resign. But Menendez said he is not going anywhere.
Menendez, who dodged separate bribery charges in 2017, has not been convicted of a crime. But the legal cloud is a distraction and renders the senator largely ineffective. More troubling, donors who may seek favors from him are contributing to his legal defense fund.
Meanwhile, there is perhaps nothing more egregious than a public official participating in a plot to overturn a presidential election. Perry had an extensive role in Trump’s coup attempt.
Perry worked with Trump apparatchiks in the U.S. Justice Department to spread lies about election fraud and decertify the vote in Georgia. Perry voted against certifying the election in Pennsylvania — but conveniently didn’t challenge the outcome of his own reelection.
Perry defied a subpoena from colleagues in the House that investigated events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The final House report mentions Perry 22 times and referred him to the Ethics Committee.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) said Perry sought a pardon from Trump during his final days in office, which Perry denied. FBI agents seized Perry’s telephone, though the congressman said he was not a target of any federal investigation.
Last week, a longtime good government activist in Harrisburg filed a lawsuit seeking to have Perry removed from the upcoming state primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection. Article 3 of the 14th Amendment says people who engage in insurrection are unable to hold office.
Perry fits the Article 3 criteria. And the same goes for Mastriano.
Mastriano was Trump’s “point person” in the fake electors scheme in Pennsylvania. He was in direct contact with Trump in the lead-up to the deadly attack at the U.S. Capitol.
Mastriano spread false information about vote totals in Pennsylvania, though like Perry, Mastriano did not challenge the votes regarding his state Senate race. Mastriano used campaign funds to bus protesters to Washington and marched to the Capitol with insurrectionists.
Last week, State Sen. Art Haywood, a Democrat who represents parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, filed an ethics complaint against Mastriano for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“The Senate is a place of integrity, and this complaint is to uphold that integrity,” Haywood said.
Unfortunately, Mastriano, Perry, and Menendez know nothing about integrity. Voters should keep that in mind, as all three of these disgraced officials are up for reelection this year.