https://politico.com/news/defiant-menendez-doubles-down-against-…
A tranche of influential state Democrats have publicly called for Menendez’s resignation after the indictment was unsealed Friday.
The charges made by federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, he said, were made to be “as salacious as possible.” The senator addressed some of the allegations put forth by federal prosecutors, who searched his home in Bergen County in June 2022. Prosecutors found $550,000 in cash as well as gold bars, which they say Menendez received as bribes.
“For 30 years I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” Menendez said. “This may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years.”
He did not address, however, why he allegedly had bars of gold as well as a new luxury vehicle — the latter of which prosecutors say he obtained in exchange for interfering in a state criminal prosecution for an associate.
There are striking similarities between the Menendez and Biden cases. The Justice Department grinds Menendez into a fine powder, it is likely to draw more attention to the relatively light touch shown Hunter Biden. It is, as Menendez said on the Senate floor in 2019, the type of thing that keeps you up at night.
@S0cialistBrandon8mos8MO
@GleefulPollster8mos8MO
Someone needs to do a deep dive examination of the cases brought, and not brought, by the DOJ. That should tell us something about the decision making process and the fairness of the system - if it exists. Trust but verify.
@ShamefulCamelGreen8mos8MO
The Supreme Court has been explicitly telling politicians that flagrant, grotesque corruption will now be considered perfectly legal.
In 2016, justices UNANIMOUSLY overturned the corruption conviction of fmr VA Gov. McDonnell, essentially saying gifts may be exchanged for certain government favors.
Menendez weaponized that to fight a past indictment & will likely try to do so again.
SCOTUS justices now have a PERSONAL motive to try to protect Menendez from prosecutors - justices' own acceptance of gifts from those with business before the court mimics the alleged scheme detailed in the Menendez indictment.
Supreme Court justices will likely be personally averse to criminalizing the same behavior we now know that they themselves routinely engage in.
@UniqueFerretSocialist8mos8MO
Didn't the advent of the Citizens United ruling kind of make that obvious complete with double underscoring?
I mean...Corporations Are People...really?
@ShamefulCamelGreen8mos8MO
Yep and spending money on elections is free speech.
@UniqueFerretSocialist8mos8MO
Here's the real problem . They ALL do this. Menendez is not the exception, he's the rule.
This is yet another reason why money has to be taken out of politics and the "good old boy" system criminalized with extreme prejudice.
@WelfareSadieConstitution8mos8MO
Bob Menendez Offers Explanation For Wads Of Cash Found In His Home - “due to a history of property confiscations in Cuba.”
LOL... Menendez was born in the United States and has lived here his entire life.
@IndependentBuckRepublican8mos8MO
Bob Menendez’s family (like Marco Rubio’s) emigrated under Fulgencio Batista, not Fidel Castro
Not seeing anything about the family’s wealth being confiscated, and not sure there was much to confiscate to begin with; they were a carpenter and seamstress respectively
@WelfareSadieConstitution8mos8MO
Cuban American politicians seeking sympathy by claiming, or at least implying, that they were victims of Fidel Castro when they actually are the kids of parents who emigrated under Batista seems like some kind of moths to the flame situation
They can’t help themselves
@IndependentBuckRepublican8mos8MO
marco rubio also pulled the "my family fled castro communism!" grift awhile ago
@WelfareSadieConstitution8mos8MO
That’s what made me check
Ted Cruz promoted a podcast clip a while back (never have been able to track it down again) where he heavily implied that his dad fleeing was connected to Castro, but his dad was actually part of the 26 7 M and was tortured by Batista
@MallardSkylarDemocrat8mos8MO
This is exactly why he should not step down, but rather be destroyed in the primaries. Let the voters show they have the power to get rid of this type of political dynasty. Primaries should bring to light other backroom political deals that made a mockery of voter choice.
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