The specter of a federal indictment could sideline one of President Obama’s most potent Democratic critics just as negotiations with Iran are entering the home stretch. And Republican senators are making a rare show of support for an embattled colleague on the other side of the aisle.
Republicans are concerned because New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has been their most reliable Democratic partner in the strong opposition to Obama’s proposed nuclear arms deal with Tehran.
Menendez’ credibility with Senate colleagues isn’t the problem; he remains influential as the Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat. Rather, news of a Justice Department investigation into Menendez’ dealings could neutralize his political effectiveness as the public face of his party’s opposition to Obama on Iran.
“He has shown quite a bit of courage, in my view, standing up to the president in his own party,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday. “He’s an important player.”
“Let me just put it this way,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., added. “There’s no question that Sen. Menendez has been a leader on preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and his voice is important.”
Menendez coauthored a bill with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., to mandate congressional approval of any nuclear accord Obama reaches with Iran. The legislation generated an immediate veto threat from the president.
This month, Menendez aggressively rebuked Obama in a speech, vowing to a gathering of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington that he would not be cowed into supporting the president’s Iran strategy. Indeed, Menendez has been a consistent Democratic opponent of Obama administration foreign policy. Lately, that has included the president’s push to normalize relations with Cuba.
On domestic matters, the senator has been allied with the White House. But in foreign policy disagreements, the bare-knuckles politician has partnered with Republicans and rarely hesitated to criticize Obama. During a televised Foreign Relations hearing in January, Menendez told an administration official testifying about Iran that his remarks sounded “like talking points that come straight out of Tehran.” Menendez insisted this week that the threat of federal indictment wouldn’t alter his approach.
“I’m going to continue to be both positive — and when I don’t agree, I’m going to be a critic,” Menendez told reporters.
Reports were leaked to the media last week, following his speech to AIPAC, that the Justice Department was poised to hit Menendez with corruption charges. The senator allegedly broke the law by accepting gifts from a campaign contributor in exchange for using his Senate office to promote and protect the donor’s business interests. The investigation has been ongoing for some time.
The revelations have not damaged Menendez’s standing on Capitol Hill, say colleagues and congressional aides on both sides of the aisle. The 61-year-old has served in the Senate for nine years and has become a seasoned and respected voice on foreign policy and national security. Senators continue to work closely with Menendez on a host of related issues, and said in interviews that his ethical cloud wouldn’t immediately change things.
But the shadow of corruption is likely to impact Menendez’ ability to continue making an impact beyond Congress. Skepticism of Obama’s negotiations with Iran, and the proposed deal as outlined, is bipartisan. Few Democrats, however, have been as willing as Menendez to voice their opposition in the media; few politicians of either party have been as sharp in doing so. News of the federal probe makes it nearly impossible for Menendez to maintain this unique role.
“Menendez can’t move five feet in the media space without being asked about a possible indictment,” said a Republican communications consultant and former congressional aide. “That means he can no longer really be effective in the press opposing the Iran deal.”
“All of this is going to limit his impact to sell this [Iran] issue in the weeks and months to come,” added a Democratic operative who previously served as a Capitol Hill communications advisor.
Menendez was re-elected to a second full term in 2012 and does not face the voters again until 2018. Republican political operatives are beating up on him nonetheless, using the situation to gain advantage over Democrats who are on the ballot in 2016. On Monday, the GOP’s Senate campaign committee issued a press release asking Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who is running for the Senate seat being vacated by longtime Maryland Democrat Barbara Mikulski, whether he planned to return previous campaign donations from Menendez.
While the Senate GOP political arm has been busy targeting Menendez, individual Republicans on the Hill have vigorously defended the Democrat. Although many decline to comment on the Justice Department investigation specifically, others haven’t held back. At least three hawkish Republicans who oppose Obama’s Iran deal and are concerned about losing Menendez’ voice have accused the White House of inappropriately marshaling police powers to silence him.
“The administration seems to be moving to silence him through the criminal justice process,” Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said.
“It came right after a bold speech [to AIPAC] from Sen. Menendez that he wants to look at the [Iran] deal, too. I don’t know what happened, but it sure doesn’t smell right,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., added.
Susan Ferrechio and Charles Hoskinson contributed to this report.
