Menendez (RAT-NJ) trial: Senator failed to disclose gifts from co-defendent

North Jersey ^ | 8/20/17 | Nicholas Pugliese

[Libloather]

Jurors at U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial heard Wednesday how the senator failed to list a series of gifts he received from his co-defendant between 2006 and 2010, including six round-trip flights, a $875 livery service and a $4,934 stay at a Paris hotel, on his annual financial disclosure forms.

In painstaking detail, prosecutors pointed out that the gifts from Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida ophthalmologist and longtime friend, did not qualify for reporting exemptions and that Menendez had acknowledged with his signature that the reports were “true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.”

[Libloather]

"Has Senator Menendez ever reported any gifts he received from Dr. Melgen on any of his financial disclosure forms?” prosecutor Monique Abrishami asked an FBI agent on the witness stand. “No,” the witness, Alan Mohl, responded.

Can the guilty party claim stupidity?

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[Gahanna Bob]

Are bribes gifts?

[monkeyshine]

Not to excuse corruption at all, but these seem to be very petty issues. There are many larger corruption scandals I can think of that remain uninvestigated. Makes me wonder if he isn’t being pursued “on a technicality” because he ticked off some higher ranking politicians. I admit I have no followed the case very closely.

[monkeyshine]

According to the excerpt the crime wasn’t necessarily in accepting them, but rather not reporting them. He is being charged for not reporting these gifts. Again, seems kind of petty especially in that light. It implies that there is nothing wrong with taking them so long as he reports it on a form.

[Gahanna Bob]

Wonder if he reported on his tax return and paid tax. I’m sure the Dr. took a deduction as a business expense.

[King Moonracer]

I’m surprised the herculean Sessions allowed this to happen to a fellow club member.

[generally]

That was my reaction, too. That most of the issues seem rather petty. But I have read other things about him that sound extremely sleazy. I am wondering if this is like indicting a mobster for tax evasion because you don’t have enough evidence to prove that he committed murder, etc.

I would not excuse any of his abuse of power, but he seems like a piker compared to, say, Hillary

What I am *hoping* is that perhaps this is a trial run before going after some of the bigger fish. Or maybe that Menendez will roll over on a bunch of other corruptocrats.

[monkeyshine]

Yeah you could be right in suggesting they may be after the conviction they think they can get because they can’t muster the evidence on larger schemes/crimes.

Though the evidence against Jon Corzine (former NJ Senator and former NJ Governor) seems to be a lot stronger and more serious. He clearly broke the law in commingling investor funds to finance his investment company’s bets in the market. And lost. So what gives? (rhetorical question). Corzine was also once a honcho at Goldman Sachs.

Something about NJ politicians, senators in particular... Corzine, Menendez, Frank Hague (senator), Robert Toricelli (senator), and a slew of mayors and assemblymen over the last couple decades.

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[ptsal]

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE TRIAL, AS OF FRIDAY 09-22-2017?

[Liz]

OBAMA NAMED MENENDEZ HIS POINT MAN FOR AMNESTY
THE AMNESTY PROTECTION RACKET BEGINS HERE

NOTE: The Senate Immigration "Reform" Bill Protected Crooked Latino
Public Officials in US positions from prosecution for wrongdoing in elective and appointive office.

DC Gala--Ntl Assoc of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
L-R--Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)--now under indictment;
Dr Salomon Melgen, VOXXI Chman (now incarcerated);
Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CAL); San Francisco
J. Sanchez, US Under Secy of Commerce for Intl Trade,
Emilio Sanchez, Pres/CEO of VOXXI.
(Photo/Voxxi---Melgen's ethnic solidarity web site)

==========================================

POLITICO revealed that Menendez's co-defendant, Dr Melgen, assiduously courted President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but that Melgen was unhappy with the return on his campaign donation "investments."

After meeting briefly with Obama at a 2010 fundraiser that Dr Melgen paid $30,400 to co-host, the eye doctor complained that “Obama didn’t even give him the time of day,” according to a source who travels in the same Miami political circles as Melgen.

The source said Melgen also expressed frustration that he couldn’t take his concerns about his questionable Medicare billing practices directly to Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius.

“He was ranting about HHS and Sebelius not understanding and not wanting to listen to him and not giving him a hearing,” said the source, who did not want to be identified WRT revealing the contents of private conversations.

Dr Melgen and friend.