The Justice Department will bring criminal charges to Democratic senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. CNN reports:
People briefed on the case say Attorney General Eric Holder has signed off on prosecutors’ request to proceed with charges, CNN has learned exclusively. An announcement could come within weeks. Prosecutors are under pressure in part because of the statute of limitation on some of the allegations.
The case could pose a high-profile test of the Justice Department’s ability to prosecute sitting lawmakers, having already spawned a legal battle over whether key evidence the government has gathered is protected by the Constitution’s Speech and Debate clause.
The case could pose a high-profile test of the Justice Department’s ability to prosecute sitting lawmakers, having already spawned a legal battle over whether key evidence the government has gathered is protected by the Constitution’s Speech and Debate clause.
Menendez has been accused of illegally receiving gifts from two fugitive businessmen in exchange for pushing their interests in Congress.
While the federal investigation has been ongoing, the timing of the charges is curious. Menendez has been one of the top Democratic critics in Congress of the Obama administration’s negotiations and forthcoming deal with Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions. Earlier this year, the New Jersey Democrat said the White House’s talking points on the Iran deal were “straight out of Tehran.”
