On April 1, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, and Dr. Salomon Melgen were charged in the District of New Jersey in a lengthy indictment, accused of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud. The essence of the indictment is that Menendez accepted nearly $1 million in travel and other personal benefits in exchange for using his authority as a senator to help Melgen in his dealings with the government. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. Menendez has stated publicly that the investigation was instigated by political opponents who “tricked” prosecutors and he has denounced the Justice Department’s failure to understand the difference between bribery and the genuine friendship he has with Melgen.

The 68-page indictment is very specific in dates and times when Menendez and Melgen did things for each other, and on their face, the corruption charges seem far more substantive than those for which former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife were convicted last summer. The indictment alleges that Melgen offered and gave, and Menendez solicited and accepted, flights on private jets, first-class domestic airfare, vacations, a stay at a luxury hotel in Paris, golf outings, meals, contributions to Menendez’s legal defense fund and hundreds of thousands of dollars of political contributions that benefited Menendez’s 2012 re-election campaign.

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