FBI raids West Palm Beach office of doctor tied to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Miami Herald

FBI agents late Tuesday night raided the West Palm Beach business of an eye doctor suspected of providing free trips and even underage Dominican Republic prostitutes to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. — who has denied what he calls the “fallacious allegations.”

Agents gathered at the medical-office complex of Dr. Salomon Melgen, a contributor to Menendez and other prominent politicians, to start hauling away potential evidence in several vans.

The investigation is believed to be focusing on Melgen’s finances and the allegations about Menendez’s trips and contact with prostitutes. A spokesman for Menendez could not be reached for comment, nor could Melgen.

Melgen has an outstanding IRS lien of $11.1 million for taxes owed from 2006 to 2009, according to records filed with the Palm Beach County recorder’s office. A previous IRS lien for $6.2 million was released in 2011.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/29/3207543/fbi-raids-west-palm-beach-office.html

[Dustlawyer]

1. If true, it shows how cheap and easy it is to buy a U.S. Senator!

Hell, BP owns a lot of them! They are kind of like Time Shares, several people can own the same ones!

[formercia]

2. Gotta make their Nut

God forbid having to live on a Senator's Pension with no extra benefits besides free Medical and all the free meals.

[Octafish]

3. FBI raids office of doctor tied to Senator Menendez prostitution allegations

Jan. 30, 2013
Fox News

The FBI late Tuesday night raided the office of a South Florida eye doctor who allegedly was involved in providing young prostitutes to Sen. Bob Menendez -- a claim the senator's office has denied.

Fox News confirms that FBI agents removed items from Dr. Salomon Melgen's West Palm Beach, Fla., business during a raid that lasted several hours. Agents could be seen rifling through items in the office and carrying boxes out of the building.

It is unclear whether the raid is related to anything involving Menendez. The Miami Herald reports that the investigation is believed to be focusing at least in part on Melgen's finances. Melgen, a top contributor to Menendez's federal campaigns, has an outstanding IRS lien of $11.1 million for taxes owed between 2006 and 2009, according to records obtained from the Palm Beach County recorder's office, the newspaper reported.

But allegations also have surfaced that Menendez, with the help of Melgen, saw prostitutes while in the Dominican Republic. Emails posted online last week appeared to show the FBI communicating with an individual claiming to know about Menendez' trips. That individual, who goes by the name of Peter Williams, confirmed to FoxNews.com that the email exchange "is totally authentic."

CONTINUED...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/30/fbi-raids-office-doctor-tied-to-sen-menendez/

Didn't the Viagra guzzler Rush Limbaugh go to the Dominican Republic for sex? Don't know if it was with children, too.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

4. Sen. Robert Menendez is about to assume a more powerful role in Washington

By Jonathan Tamari
The Philadelphia Inquirer
January 27, 2013

WASHINGTON - New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez took a seat at the head of the dais and looked down toward John Kerry, a towering figure in American politics.

"Yours is a big chair to fill," Menendez said.

He meant it as praise, but Menendez's words Thursday also foreshadow the challenge and opportunity awaiting the fast-rising Democrat as he prepares to assume a larger role in Washington and, perhaps, on the world stage.

Menendez is expected to become chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after Kerry (D., Mass.),the current chairman, becomes President Obama's secretary of state.The Senate's all-but-certain confirmation vote on Kerry is scheduled for Tuesday.

More: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/188518621.html

[Beacool]

5. Is any of this true?

Menendez is my senator and even lives in my town, but if these allegations are true, then he needs to resign. I'm hoping that it's all a fabrication, but we'll see.

[kimbutgar]

6. Why resign? David Vitter didn't and he got re-elected.

But before we attack Senator Menendez, let's make sure this is not a Fox/Rush set up to make him look bad. The timing is very suspicious.

[Dawson Leery]

8. +1,000,000,000,000

[Beacool]

9. That creep should have resigned too.

But, were the prostitutes that he frequented underage?

[KoKo]

7. The Miami Herald article seems to be somewhat skeptical...or maybe

they are doing more unbiased reporting than Fox News Link above

Here's the snip that's interesting and makes me believe that it's a witch hunt against Menendez who is one of our most Liberal Dems, plus he voted against the Iraq War Resolution. Has a 67% rating from ACLU...which isn't bad.

-------
from Miami-Herald:

Rubio is one of the few big-name Florida politicians who has not received campaign money from the Melgens, who have contributed to Sen. Bill Nelson and Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Joe Garcia, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, among others.

The FBI would not comment on the emails, and the agent, Regino Chavez, did not return calls or emails. But sources familiar with the investigation told The Miami Herald that the emails are real.

The emails from agent Chavez show that he tried to find out what happened. But the tipster, who went by the name “Peter Williams,” refused to talk to him by telephone or meet him face to face.

Chavez contacted the tipster Aug.1, 2012, after the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington referred the case to the FBI. The tipster would not meet or speak by phone to CREW or to an investigative reporter, either.

“As far as the information you have provided, we have been able to confirm most of it,” Chavez wrote on Sept. 12. “We know that you are providing accurate information.”

But it is not clear what that specific information is because Chavez was unable to interview the alleged prostitutes. Over the months, Chavez tried to meet or speak with the tipster, but had no luck.

Then, on Nov. 1, the agent wrote the tipster again and drew attention to the Daily Caller interview with the alleged prostitutes.

“I think we are at the point where you and I need to communicate over the phone so that we can move faster,” he wrote.

No luck.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/29/3207543/fbi-raids-west-palm-beach-office.html#storylink=cpy

[Beacool]

10. I have my doubts too.

I'm hoping that it's a false claim and nothing more than a witch hunt, but look how it went with Weiner. He kept denying it and the allegations were true.

What is it about power and guys that makes them forget their common sense?

[Dawson Leery]

11. This is not the first time the right wing machine has attempted to

take down Menendez.

[Kingofalldems]

17. I heard he was cleared and it was all

a GOP dirty trick like Rove would pull.

[Beacool]

18. Yeah, I read it.

Someone actually paid the prostitutes to lie and said that he had used their services.

It's just crazy.

[Tx4obama]

12. ''Menendez traveled on the... jet... visiting a particular hotel 20 times in two years .... ''

-snip-

Napolitano also noted that it is remarkable how Sen. Menendez has traveled on the plastic surgeon’s jet multiple times, visiting a particular Dominican hotel twenty times in two years. The resort, he added, is owned by “sugar barons,” causing the judge to question: “Did the gifts from the surgeon or the sugar baron influence any of Menendez's votes? He did vote on sugar price supports, but maybe he was going to vote for price supports anyway.”

-snip-

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/judge-napolitano-takes-on-allegations-democratic-senator-used-underage-prostitutes/

If that is true, it's going to be hard to explain.

[Dawson Leery]

13. Where was Andy with Vitter?

On the other hand, this is Fox "News" Channel.

[Kingofalldems]

14. Looks like it's totally false

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014414589

Yep.

[struggle4progress]

15. ^^^^^ THANKS FOR THE LINK ^^^^^

[Kingofalldems]

16. You are welcome.

[Kingofalldems]

19. What happened to this big story?

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. Apparently a federal grand jury and the Senate Ethics Committee are investigating the

relationship between Senator Menendez and Dr. Melgen:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/grand-jury-investigating-sen-robert-menendez-d-nj-people-familiar-with-probe-say/2013/03/14/2eb4fad4-8b24-11e2-9838-d62f083ba93f_story.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57567120-10391739/senate-ethics-committee-investigating-menendez/

[Kingofalldems]

21. 3/15 article. Is this gonna be like the prostitute story you posted?

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. If you have an update on the grand jury or Senate Ethics Committee investigation, please post them

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Here is what happened to this big story:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/politics/robert-menendez-criminal-corruption-charges-planned/