U.S. Justice Department Accuses Senator Menendez of Financial Corruption

Reports from U.S. media indicate that the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to file financial corruption charges against Robert Menendez, a Democratic senator from New Jersey. Senator Menendez is a senior member of the Democratic Party, serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is one of the architects of the recent proposal to review the Iran nuclear deal by Congress. According to CNN, on Friday, March 6, sources familiar with the case told the network that the charges against Robert Menendez focus on his connections with Salomon Melgen, one of the senator's financial backers. Earlier reports indicated that Salomon Melgen arranged expensive trips for Robert Menendez in exchange for the senator's support. CNN reported that Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, has given prosecutors the green light to charge this Democratic senator, and the charges are likely to be announced this week. Tricia Enright, the public relations director for Robert Menendez's office, stated, 'As we have previously announced, we believe that all of the senator's actions were legal and correct. Documents will ultimately confirm this matter.' Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has declined to comment on this issue. Two police sources told Reuters that the FBI has conducted extensive investigations into Senator Robert Menendez's financial corruption. One of these police sources informed Reuters that the FBI's investigation is nearing completion. According to Reuters, Senator Robert Menendez is a Cuban-American and one of the prominent Spanish-speaking politicians in the U.S. He won a second term in the Senate elections in 2012 and has served for 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.