Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey under federal investigation again, adviser confirms
An adviser to Menendez said in a statement that the senator was aware of the investigation. Details of the case remain unclear.
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who successfully fought back against a federal corruption prosecution several years ago, is again under federal investigation for similar allegations, national news outlets reported Wednesday.
The news outlet Semafor, citing sources, first reported that federal prosecutors in Manhattan have contacted people connected to Menendez in recent weeks, and that they have sent out at least one subpoena in the case. ABC News and other outlets later reported similar details.
Michael Soliman, a top adviser to Menendez, said in an emailed statement to The Inquirer that the senator “is aware of an investigation that was reported on today, however he does not know the scope of the investigation. As always, should any official inquiries be made, the senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office.”
A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment on the reports. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan could not be reached for comment.
Menendez, 68, is the Democratic chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has been in office since 2006.
Semafor reported that the “broad outline of the new inquiry” is similar to the last investigation, but that it “involves an entirely different group of people.”
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In 2017, a federal jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges against Menendez and the judge declared a mistrial. Prosecutors decided not to retry the case.
The corruption case focused on Menendez’s relationship with Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor and Democratic Party donor. Melgen was convicted in a separate Medicare fraud case, for which former President Donald Trump commuted Melgen’s prison sentence to time served.
In 2015, Melgen was charged alongside Menendez in the corruption case that alleged the senator had accepted flights, pricey hotel stays, and other expensive gifts from Melgen. In turn, prosecutors accused Menendez of lobbying government officials to assist the doctor in his dispute with Medicare and helping foreign women get visas to come to the United States to visit Melgen.
Melgen’s pardon application was supported by Menendez and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R., Fla.).
Menendez was admonished by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in a 2018 letter saying he broke Senate rules and federal law by accepting gifts from Melgen.
Despite the controversies, Menendez was reelected in 2018.