General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Menendez issue isn't going away, and yes, it has legs.
Menendez allegations growing rapidly, creating headache for Democrats
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/280691-menendez-scandal-creates-headache-for-dems#ixzz2Jl5pLuFg
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Senate Ethics Committee investigating Menendez
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57567120-10391739/senate-ethics-committee-investigating-menendez
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)Chris Christie would pick an interim for 9 months should he be out soon
so it would be instant republican pickup
and, well, with the Cory Booker announcment that he is going to win Lautenberg's seat,
Lautenberg is pissed off I bet (he is judging by things you read including that Lautenberg said Cory should be spanked
and that pathetic Pallone(My opinion) wants the seat.
So getting rid of Bob works for the underbellies of both parties
(and NJ has a smoke filled room party boss reputation, who don't like Cory Booker to start off with.
but this way it would get both Pallone(the bosses favorite) and Cory positions
but at the expense of the next 11 months
when Bob's voice is needed on the immigration front
imho
just like McCain got rid of Susan Rice imho
and we all have opinions
feel free to agree or disagree imho
and again- i am NOT a fan of Pallone's and his personal gotta have it attitude and power grab
imho Lautenberg never was going to run again, but Cory got in the way of passing the torch
remember Corzine got rid of Codey(whom the party bosses hate too)
and McGreevey was tossed because he was Gay
and Florio was years ago sold down the river
no wonder NJ is up there on the top 5 list of corrupt states in both parties
cali
(114,904 posts)If it's the thing about prostitutes that may well be true, but the facts support the financial related allegations detailed in the articles.
I'm not suggesting that he'll be forced to resign on these allegations, btw. I don't see that happening.
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)financially, he refunded it.
therefore there is no problem, as it was refunded.
It is legal to fly but he didn't pre-announce it, and he has refunded
as to the other things which are NOT connected, that is the smear
and people are wanting him out
(I am living now in NJ, and a fan of Bob's, who wants him to lead the whole immigration issue, which he has major power on the committee to do.)
But there is the whole Pallone-Lautenberg vs. Booker that applies
(because in politics everything is connected and NJ(where I am living now)has a long history of stab in the back politics
(Ask Florio, ask McGreevey, ask Codey, and there has been others (Corzine, Torticelli) that had major problems recently
and those are just the democratic people
I could list 50 republicans (including the whole system that got Christie, a proud member of their fraternity, his job).
Nothing is by chance.
So I hope all demcoratic people support Bob and he doesn't get driven out
but, the issues are the person involved who owes much back tax, and then Menendez, which is secondary,
and he is not really being looked into by the feds.
(I don't see anything in this to drive bob out, but that doesn't mean all the forces will do just that.
Now before 60 days til Nov. would mean an interim til then
and most likely a democratic candidate would win the seat, but it's the interim time
(and if Cory gets the other seat, this would give Pallone the 2nd one, soemthing not expected prior to this brouhaha)
cali
(114,904 posts)<snip>
This month, after a conservative Web site aired allegations that Menendez had accepted free trips from Melgen to Casa de Campo, the senator reimbursed Melgen $58,500 with a personal check. The money covered the costs of two round-trip flights Menendez made on Melgens private plane from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic in 2010, the senators office said. Menendez had not previously reported the paid trips as gifts or reimbursed Melgen, as required by Senate rules. Menendezs staff blamed the error on sloppy paperwork.
<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/menendez-pressed-us-officials-to-help-his-close-friend-and-donor/2013/02/01/7a509dc0-6cb3-11e2-bd36-c0fe61a205f6_story.html
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)I thought there were 3 trips, and the first one was correctly reported but not the last two
sounds like sloppy staff work and not ouster, but then legalities dont' stop things
(and it wastes precious time which is why alot of people end up going saying they can't get their job done right).
another_liberal
(8,821 posts)"I'm shocked, shocked!"
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)some 58,000 dollars, in the form of travel on a donor's jet.
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)rightwing is running with that
no one says any of these people are saints.
And the Saints are better than Tim Tebow anyhow seeing that he can't throw but is being paid to be a QB)
(that is a superbowl saturday football joke)
naaman fletcher
(7,362 posts)Do you think he would have returned it if he didn't get caught?
If I don't pay my taxes and the IRS audits me, can I just pay them and say "story is over! I paid, so therefore I didn't do anything wrong"?
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)you pay the fine and it's over.
audits are not as scary as you may think.
there is an error, you send in money, add the interest and a possible fine, no jail time, not anything more
record clear then.
all they want is their money
btw-the guy they are looking at is NOT Bob. He owes mega tax, but that has nothing to
do with Bob.
Bob made a mistake and re-paid it, so Bob is done.
two different things being combined into a smear.
so the answer to your question is a resounding YES you too would be let off after repayment.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)Under Investigation by: The Senate Ethics Committee.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/senator-robert-menendez-democrat-new-jersey
Under Investigation for:
Status: The status of the Senate Ethics Committee investigation is unknown.
MotherPetrie
(3,145 posts)gollygee
(22,336 posts)Democrats sometimes do bad things too. I'm old enough to remembe the Keating Five scandal. If one of ours does something unethical, he/she needs to be treated just like the Republicans with bad ethics.
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)gollygee
(22,336 posts)He showed how ethical he was then IMO.
You know, two of them were cleared in the investigation, and I think he was one. I mainly remember it in association with Riegle (a Dem), who was my senator, and who was not cleared.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)www.citizensforethics.org Legal Filings
PDF's:
Read CREW's letter to the FBI and DOJ
Read CREW's email exchange with Peter Williams
bigtree
(86,005 posts)I see it has tentacles, tho . . .
catbyte
(34,458 posts)Although sleazy and off-putting, at least Menendez doesn't have a wife to betray, he didn't wear a diaper, and it wasn't illegal.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Not that this has been proven yet, but that's the allegation.
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)questioned their age. It seems that if those were the girls involved, they may have been 17 at the time but they didn't appear too young for that sort of thing or the daily caller would have jumped all over it. Not excusing it if that is the case, but even when the daily caller was trying to promote this story they didn't mention the underage aspect and that was election time.