Posted on 10/16/2023 2:25:49 PM PDT by Libloather
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is now facing an additional charge of acting as a foreign agent in an indictment released Thursday, has a history of opposing Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reforms, according to Senate records.
In 2020, Menendez blocked Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s bipartisan-led effort to create stricter penalties regulating influence of foreign entities on the U.S. government. The Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act of 2019 would have built upon existing law to boost disclosure to the public of foreign lobbying campaigns.
"It seems shortsighted to provide additional enforcement tools before we have figured out what that regime should look like," Menendez said on the Senate floor, according to congressional records. "The disturbing rise of foreign influence campaigns that use a variety of measures to mask who is the ultimate source or beneficiary should serve as an alarm bell for all of us.
"So, before this body passes any tweaks or new tools and adds to the current patchwork of FARA regulations and exemptions, I think we should take a step back and take a comprehensive look, and we have not done that."
At the time, Grassley said the bill would give "the Justice Department new tools to detect and deter secret foreign lobbying and ensures policymakers and the American public know when influence campaigns are being pushed by foreign interests."
Another bill seeking to close loopholes in FARA and foreign lobbying disclosure, brought forth this year by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas and called the PAID OFF Act...
**SNIP**
Menendez is accused of acting as a foreign agent and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to benefit the Egyptian government through his "power and influence as a Senator," according to the superseding indictment filed by a grand jury in Manhattan Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Things are getting seriouser and seriouser for him.
Even then it might not be illegal because you blocked it from becoming so.
.
How about the $26 Million Hunter, Brother James, and Sister Valerie collected and cashed out?
Hunter wrote that he was defending China’s Biggest spy.
I have no love for Menendez, but the vast US deep-state has laws that can be stretched to cover anything you do, even if stretched ridiculously. They also control courts in DC that will make sure you are convicted.
MENENDEZ'S LAMENT
Hello walls, (hello) (hello)
How'd things go for you today?
Don't you miss me
Since they hauled my ass away?
And now with no more gold to hide
You'll have some lonely times without me
Hope I can come back one day to keep you company
His political career is over. But, I seriously would like to see this dirtbag doing hard time after it is over, much like that other Jersey democrat senator, Pete Williams, had to do a few decades ago for corruption
Maybe I’m too skeptical, but I wonder why the powers-that-be decided to stop protecting him. What he was doing was commonplace, I think. He’s been a known dirt-bag for a long time.
It’s the New Jersey way - can’t say that I am surprised at all.
Assuming he’s actually convicted, Menendez will in in a Federal Prison, collecting two state pensions - not too unlike the disgraced Mayor of Newark (Sharpe James) - who received a 27-month federal conviction involving a real estate transaction with his girlfriend (not his wife). New Jersey allows residents to serve in two branches of (state) Government at the same time - as James served as State Senator and Mayor at the same time, Menendez was simultaneously Mayor of Union City, NJ, and a State Assemblyman for the (then-) 33rd District, and later the State Senate.
The entire state is a rotten mess. That’s saying something when you consider I’m from New York :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.