In a case where it is claimed that the senator used his influence in international affairs for personal gain, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of collecting bribes, including cash, gold, mortgage payments, and a Mercedes-Benz.
WASHINGTON - When Sen. Bob Menendez was a young attorney and testified against two mob members and city officials in a corruption case in New Jersey, he did it while wearing a bulletproof vest.
Menendez is currently facing new accusations of political corruption.
The powerful New Jersey Democrat was charged with corruption for the second time in eight years on Friday by a federal grand jury in New York. In a case where it is claimed that the senator used his influence in international affairs for personal gain, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of collecting bribes, including cash, gold, mortgage payments, and a Mercedes-Benz.
Additionally, three New Jersey businesses were accused of paying the couple lavish bribes in exchange for the senator's actions on their behalf.
Who is Bob Menendez:?
For a significant portion of his three-decade tenure in Washington, Menendez has been a prominent figure. When he was elected as only the second Cuban-American senator in 2006, he created history. He soon advanced to become one of the most powerful senators and served as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a post he gave up following Friday's indictment.
Menendez, 69, was born in New York City to parents who had fled Fulgencio Batista's oppressive rule in Cuba. He was raised in Union City, New Jersey, in a tenement building after the family relocated there. Menendez graduated from Rutgers Law School and was chosen in 1974 to serve on the Union City Board of Education.
Menendez testified against mob members and one of his mentors, Union City Mayor William Musto, who was found guilty of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks for school construction projects, while serving on the school board. Menendez donned a bulletproof vest during the trial out of fear for his life. Four years later, Menendez defeated Musto in the mayoral race and prevented his mentor from staging a political return.
Before being elected to the U.S. House in 1992, Menendez later served in the state legislature. Sen. Jon Corzine appointed Menendez as his successor in 2006 after winning the governorship. The following November, Menendez won a full six-year term and has since been re-elected twice.
Rob Menendez, the senator's son, won a seat in the New Jersey congressional delegation last year. Alicia Menendez, the senator's daughter, is a television analyst and the host of a weekend programme on MSNBC.
A supporter of Ukraine and a critic of Cuba
As a result of his hardline foreign policy stance in the Senate, Menendez became the first Latino to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2013.
He fought for Cubans' human rights and was a vocal opponent of the communist government there. He also vehemently opposed Iran, contending that Tehran shouldn't be let to acquire nuclear weapons. He was opposed to the Obama administration's deal, though, which called for Iran to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for billions of dollars.
Menendez has been a leading figure in Democrats' efforts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation and has been a steadfast proponent of immigration reform. He was a founding member of the "Gang of Eight," a group of eight senators from both parties that pushed immigration reform through the Senate but saw it fall apart in the Republican-controlled House.
Menendez has also fought hard for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and urged Congress to provide Ukraine with the funding it needs to respond.
extravagant presents and allegations of corruption
The charges against Menendez that were laid on Friday are not the first time they have been brought.
He was charged in 2015 in New Jersey with using his political clout to assist a Florida eye doctor who showered him with gifts and campaign donations. Menendez was accused of obtaining visas for the doctor's girlfriends and assisting in the defence of a contract the doctor had to supply port-screening equipment to the Dominican Republic. He was also charged with pressing government authorities to resolve a Medicare billing issue in favour of a friend, Dr. Salomon Melgen.
Dr. Salomon Melgen.
After a jury couldn't agree on a verdict in November 2017 on some accusations and a judge dismissed others, Menendez claimed his innocence, and the prosecution withdrew the case.
After his initial indictment, Menendez resigned as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he later took it back.
.webp)
