The Justice Department is preparing to bring criminal charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., for allegedly using his position to support the business interests of a donor and friend, CNN first reported on Friday.
Attorney General Eric Holder
already signed off on prosecutors’ request to pursue charges on the
allegations
some of which might pass the statute of limitations, the
network said.
The potential
charges reportedly stem from the politician’s friendship with Florida
ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, who has donated to Menendez and
associated committees.
Menendez,
who has been one of the most vocal democrats opposing President Obama’s
decisions regarding two governments with hostile relationships with the
United States: Iran and Cuba, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in
his association with Melgen.
The
New Jersey politician does not approve of Obama pursuing negotiations
with Iran over its nuclear capabilities or loosening the embargo against
Cuba.
CNN says an
announcement could come within the next few weeks. A law enforcement
official confirmed the pending charges, the result of a two-year
investigation, to the New York Times.
The
investigation was launched after a woman said Melgen paid for Menendez
to visit underage prostitutes during a trip to the Dominican Republic,
according to the broadsheet.
Federal agents continued to pursue the charges after the tipster reportedly withdrew her allegations.
"Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Hillary Clinton had used a personal email address to conduct official State Department business. Today CNN reported that the Justice Department is planning to indict New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on criminal charges of corruption. Except for the fact that Clinton and Menendez are both prominent Democrats, these two events would appear to be unrelated. But are they?
ReplyDeleteAfter word of Menendez’s impending indictment came down, a number of hawkish conservative commentators began floating theories suggesting that the negative stories about him and Clinton were deliberately planted by the Obama administration. According to these theories, the White House wants to punish Democrats for expressing hard-line stances against Iran—as both Clinton and Menendez have—and generate noise to distract American from the administration’s ongoing talks with the country over containing its nuclear capabilities."
" This outré theory first bubbled up in a Friday morning column by Tablet contributor Lee Smith. The White House’s baffled response to Clinton’s private email address, Smith wrote, “had all the hallmarks of a well-organized political hit.” After noting that Gawker first reported Clinton’s use of a private address nearly two years ago, Smith continued:
So, why did it take the Obama Administration two years to admit to what was already known and to then suggest that Clinton's behavior was reckless and may have even been criminal? And why did it take so long for a major news organization like the New York Times to come up with the big “scoop” it published earlier this week? ...
This week’s tarring of Hillary Clinton is part of the White House’s political campaign to shut off debate about its hoped-for deal. It’s not hard to see why they’re anxious. With Netanyahu’s speech forcing lawmakers and editorial writers to face up to the proposed agreement’s manifest problems, the administration fears the prospect of Democrats jumping ship and signing on to Kirk-Menendez sanctions legislation that also would give Congress oversight on the deal. So far, the White House has managed to keep Democratic lawmakers in line, no matter how much they seem to question the wisdom of the proposed deal. Hillary Clinton, gearing up for a 2016 run in which she is likely to put some distance between herself and Obama’s dubious Middle East policies, is the one major national Democratic figure who can give Democrats in Congress cover."
http://blackbag.gawker.com/conspiracy-is-obama-punishing-democrats-who-won-t-roll-1689938244
Valerie Jarrett says she simply doesn’t know if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ever sent an email to the White House from her private account. In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday, the top Obama advisor was asked if she ever received an email from Clinton – which would have appeared without the appropriate State.gov address — while the former secretary was part of the administration. “I actually did not,” she said. “No, I did not receive an email from Hillary Clinton.” “Did members of the administration receive emails from Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State?” Jarrett was asked. “That I don’t know,” she replied, adding that President Obama “has a very firm policy” on archiving emails. “Does that mean she broke the policy?” Jarrett was pressed. “I’ll defer to the State Department for that,” she said.
ReplyDeleteRead more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/415009/valerie-jarrett-i-dont-know-if-hillary-ever-sent-emails-white-house-brendan-bordelon
So, Valery Jarrett, Obama's top adviser, said she never received emails from Obama's Secretary of State in her four years as a cabinet member?
Keep in mind Senator Menendez is located right across the Hudson River from the Clinton New York City power base. It certainly appears that Obama is using Holder, on his way out the door as AG, to tie up the New York power base. This is the Chicago way.
ReplyDeleteThe next shoe to drop will be Hillary's replacement in the race and those who jump on board and heave to. If anyone remembers how Teddy Kennedy endorsed Obama in "08, driving a stake into Hillary's heart, they will begin to understand what is taking place. Will it be the Massachusetts power base (with Ivy League imprimatur) supporting Warren, or a well funded left coast corporate candidate that fills the void?
Interesting times ahead as we have a year and a half until the election.
The sheeple of NJ will just vote another far left wing socialist to fill his seat.
ReplyDeleteMenendez has had the Melgen problem for a long time. Melgen was the top medicare-medicade billing operation in the country. Menendez also set him up with a long term multi million dollar port deal. All normal political graft situations based this time on their shared interest in Caribbean prostitutes.
DeleteShow some backbone and stand up to the Chicago mob in the White House and guess what happens. Toe the party line. General Petraeus had similar problems you may recall along with a long line of military leaders who have been replaced.
But thus is not about Menendez. This is about Hillary and the far left.
If he's guilty, he should be punished. It's pretty simple for me.
ReplyDelete