Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Menendez Case Continues To Take Shape
Politico: DOJ: Robert Menendez Response To Bribery Charges 'Naked Rhetoric'
Menendez, who was first elected to Congress in 1992 and became a senator in 2006, was indicted in April for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper gifts and campaign contributions as bribes in exchange for using his office to aid Melgen. Both men have sought to have the charges against them dropped. According to the indictment, Menendez received nearly $1 million worth of gifts and campaign contributions from Melgen in exchange for using his Senate office to aid Melgen in a multimillion-dollar billing dispute with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; to attempt to enforce a $500 million port security contract Melgen had with the Dominican Republic; and to obtain visa applications for several of Melgen’s girlfriends. Melgen would reportedly send his private jet to pick up Menendez and a guest in New Jersey for flights to Florida or Melgen’s resort home in the Dominican Republic, all at no cost. Menendez subsequently was compelled to repay tens of thousands of dollars for unreported flights. (Bresnahan, 8/24)
The Washington Post: Prosecutors Claim ‘Unmistakable’ Evidence Of Menendez Wrongdoing
The investigators found “repeated and substantial use of defendant Menendez’s power and influence to further the personal whims and financial interests of defendant Melgen,” the filing says. “No ordinary constituent from New Jersey received the same treatment, and the quid pro quo outlined in the indictment is clear and unmistakable.” ... The 14-count indictment accused Menendez of using the influence of his office to advance Melgen’s financial interests in exchange for luxury gifts, lavish vacations and more than $750,000 in campaign donations. Prosecutors charged that Menendez, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, twice intervened on the doctor’s behalf — first with federal regulators investigating Melgen’s Medicare billings and then when Melgen sought to secure a port-security contract in the Dominican Republic, according to the indictment. (Leonnig, 8/24)
The New York Times: Prosecutors Rebuke Menendez Over Request To Dismiss His Corruption Case
Justice Department prosecutors scolded Senator Robert Menendez and his lawyers on Monday, rebuking the indicted lawmaker for what they described as a disingenuous attempt to have corruption charges against him thrown out in federal court. In a series of filings answering Mr. Menendez’s request that his case be dismissed, Justice Department lawyers defended their handling of a lengthy investigation into the senator, which resulted in a 14-count indictment in April. (Burns, 8/24)
