Menendez Rips DOJ, 'Political Motive to Silence Me' After 14-Count Indictment Unveiled

Before a crowd of reporters and cheering supporters, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) furiously lashed out at the Justice Department for the indictment unveiled today as the administration again extended the deadline for a nuclear agreement framework with Iran.

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The chief Democratic architect of Iran sanctions legislation that has angered the White House reportedly found out about his indictment not from the DOJ, but from the media who first received the leak.

Menendez said moments ago that for nearly three years the DOJ has followed him “like a cloud,” and he’s “outraged that this cloud has not been lifted.”

The DOJ was “tricked into starting this investigation three years ago,” the senator charged, with a “political motive to silence me — and I will not be silenced.”

“I am confident at the end of the day I will be vindicated and they will be exposed,” Menendez declared, adding that given his decades of public service “this is not how my career is going to end.”

“I have always conducted myself in accordance with the law,” he said. “I have always stood up for what I believe is right.”

The senator stressed, “I am not going anywhere… I’m angry and ready to fight because today contradicts my public service career and my entire life.”

In a 14-count indictment, the DOJ accuses Menendez of a “bribery scheme” in which the senator allegedly accepted gifts from Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen in exchange for using the power of his Senate office to benefit Melgen’s interests. Menendez charged that prosecutors “don’t know the difference between friendship and corruption” and chose to “twist” the relationship “into something improper.”

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The charges for Menendez and Melgen are one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the travel act, eight counts of bribery and three counts of honest services fraud. Menendez faces an additional charge of making false statements. The Justice Department says the violations took place between January 2006 and January 2013.

To cries of “we support you,” Menendez admonished everyone to “remember all the other times when prosecutors got it wrong.”

He vowed to fight “no matter how long it takes to clear my good name.”

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement that “government corruption – at any level of elected office – corrodes the public trust and weakens our democratic system.”

“It is the fundamental responsibility of the Department of Justice to hold public officials accountable by conducting thorough investigations and seeking an indictment when the facts and the law support it,” Caldwell said.

The charges came not only as the Obama administration faces action on two Iran bills — the Corker-Menendez bill to require congressional approval of any Iran deal and the Menendez-Kirk sanctions bill — after lawmakers return from spring break, but as the Justice Department decided to not file any contempt charges against former IRS official Lois Lerner.

“Today’s announcement is disappointing and exhibits a disregard for the rule of law,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said of the Lerner punt. “[Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia] attempted to absolve Ms. Lerner of her actions by substituting his judgment for that of the full House of Representatives. It is unclear whether the Administration directed Mr. Machen not to prosecute Lois Lerner, or whether he was motivated by an ideological kinship with IRS’s leadership.”

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“The Committee will continue to pursue its ongoing investigation into the targeting of American citizens based on their political beliefs,” Chaffetz added. “Our goal is to ensure that the people responsible, including Lois Lerner, are held accountable, and that appropriate reforms and safeguards are put into place at the IRS to guarantee that the rights of Americans are not trampled on again by overzealous bureaucrats with political agendas.”

The American Jewish Committee issued a statement praising Menendez: “His leadership in the defense of American values and interests around the world has been admirable, his thoughtful analysis of the threats posed by a nuclear-capable Iran persuasive, his identification with the aspirations and security concerns of Israel forthright and deeply appreciated, and his support for the protection of human rights, human dignity, and civil rights unflinching.”

“Regarding this week’s news of a federal indictment, unless and until the government proves its case, the Senator is presumed to be innocent,” the AJC continued. “We, therefore, intend to continue to work with him closely, as we have throughout his tenure. His leadership on pressing policy issues is too important to be silenced on anything less than proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Others jumped at the news.

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