The Department of Justice has moved to dismiss the remaining corruption charges against Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.
Last week, a judge acquitted Menendez and his co-defendant of seven of the 18 charges the faced in the government’s corruption case. Two weeks ago, the Justice Department announced its intent to retry Menendez and Salomon Melgen, but the department now says it won’t pursue the matter further.
“Given the impact of the Court’s Jan. 24 order on the charges and the evidence admissible in a retrial, the United States has determined that it will not retry the defendants on the remaining charges,” said department spokeswoman Nicole Navas.
In a statement, Menedez said he “never wavered in my innocence.”
“From the very beginning, I never wavered in my innocence and my belief that justice would prevail. I am grateful that the Department of Justice has taken the time to reevaluate its case and come to the appropriate conclusion,” his statement said. “I thank God for hearing my prayers and for giving me strength during this difficult time. I have devoted my life to serving the people of New Jersey, and am forever thankful for all who have stood by me. No matter the challenges ahead, I will never stop fighting for New Jersey and the values we share.”
A jury deadlocked against the duo in November after the initial trial last 11 weeks. Menendez and Melgen, a wealthy Florida ophthalmologist, had been charged with multiple counts of bribery, honest services mail and wire fraud and violations of the Travel Act.
Both Menendez and Melgen said the gifts and campaign donations were innocent and told the court there was no bribery agreement between them.
Menendez was first indicted in April 2015, and almost immediately stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This month, he announced he would run for reelection despite federal prosecutors announcing they planned to retry him.
“Senator Menendez fully expects to be vindicated and has every intention of running for re-election, continuing to fight Donald Trump’s policies on behalf of New Jersey,” spokesman Michael Soliman said in a statement at the time.
