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Feds in New Jersey Serve Subpoenas on Senator's Associates
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ShareNovember 16, 2006 10:59 AM
Federal agents have served a second round of subpoenas in the investigation of financial transactions involving newly elected Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), senior law enforcement sources tell ABC News.
ABC News first reported on the expected new round of subpoenas last Friday.
They are the second set in a probe involving Sen. Menendez's financial relationship with a community organization that received federal funding with Menendez's help.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS
Sen. Menendez is not considered a formal "target" of the federal investigation at this point, according to investigators who describe him only as "a person of interest."
The case, according to investigators, centers on $329,000 in rent payments made to then-Congressman Menendez from the New Jersey community group at the same time he helped the group obtain federal funding.
A first round of subpoenas for financial records was served on the not-for-profit North Hudson Community Action Corp. in early September.
"We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office some time ago to ask them if they needed any information at all from the senator," Matt Miller, a spokesman for the senator told ABC News last week. "They told us that not only did they not need any information but that he has no status [in the investigation] at all."
Miller had nothing additional to add at this time, he said.
Menendez had said that he received informal approval in 1994 from the House Ethics Committee before entering into the lease arrangement with the community group.
"It is standard practice for members to seek and rely upon oral guidance given to them by House Ethics Committee staff. I am not aware of any instance where a House member received oral guidance from the House Ethics Committee staff and was later subject to discipline by the House Ethics Committee," said Marc Elias, counsel for Sen. Menendez, told ABC News Friday.
Menendez's attorney said that at this time there was nothing to add to the remarks he made to ABC News last week when he commented on the ethics of any transactions.
The rent payments, over a period of nine years, were for a three-story brick house owned by Menendez in Union City, N.J. The group continued to rent the building from the new owners after Menendez sold it.
"We are confident that when the U.S. Attorney's Office completes its review, they will come to the same conclusion as the House Ethics Committee that this transaction was completely appropriate," Miller said.
The U.S. Attorney would neither confirm nor deny subpoenas were served.
November 16, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (12)
Menendez, not a target at this time, but a person of interest.
A joke? Are the people New Jersey crazy to send this guy to the senate. If it was a republican Ross of ABC would have spared no pain to investigate & crucify this guy. Media Bias or What?
Posted by: Leslie | Nov 16, 2006 11:29:33 AM
Well the investigation is still ongoing, so lets hold judgment until then. If things go badly for him and he broke the law, well cruicify away! The democrats came to power because of the horrifyingly blatant corruption in the GOP. Cleaning house in democrat land is a good idea before they take power January 1, I'm all for it.
Posted by: Steve Savage | Nov 16, 2006 11:48:21 PM
Another media darling, (democrat) being investigated, but it never makes the newscast on NBC, CBS,CNN or the NYTs. We already know Reid is corrupt, and the Media is silent. Good thing we have the DrudgeReport, and NewsBusters.org to tell us the truth, Brian Ross is just playing lip service to these stories.
Posted by: SL | Nov 17, 2006 10:35:31 AM
Cleaning house is what Democrats do - not the GOP, and the media relative to the GOP. The GOP has been into smearing without facts for 14 years, usually with the help of some of the right wing folks in Justice and on te bench, aided by a right wing media.
This smells like another smear, aided by a right wing media - like ABC. "Senior law enforcement sources" but not the U.S. Attorney's Office as the source sounds like Bush/RNC smears being reprinted by ABC via "reporter" Richard Esposito.
I guess we should expect this no fact smear to be on tonights news?
Posted by: Bill | Nov 17, 2006 11:10:42 AM
I read with amusement that someone posted that Reid, et al, must be given the presumption of innocence from the public and the media. Where was this sentiment when the Dems. and tha media had Rove indicted, convicted, and serving time in the Valerie Plame case?
Posted by: Bob Salt | Nov 17, 2006 1:08:39 PM
Murtha voted against an ethics law for Congress recently. He said it was "a bunch of crap". I think that says it all.
Posted by: Bob Salt | Nov 17, 2006 1:13:03 PM
Well the Democrats are already damaged goods. The Corrupt Murtha, Corrupt Reid, and now Pelosi has shot herself in the foot backing Murtha. This should be good for lots of laughs in the next two years. The white house will be ours and both houses AGAIN!!!
Posted by: SL | Nov 17, 2006 4:21:05 PM
poor lil repubs cryin is breaking my heart ;) Let's see how well they hold up when they get some real investigations done on them.
Posted by: Mike | Nov 20, 2006 11:18:52 AM
and the Democrats said they are not Corrupt and that the would clean the house. What with more Corruption?
Posted by: Andy | Nov 21, 2006 7:13:29 PM
Just goes to show from January 2001 till Nov 2006,the media kept up the scandals of the GOP but were silent on the democrat scandals.
And some believe there is no basis in the media.
Wake up people,there is corruption on both sides, it is not party based.
Did anyone else notice the year the "Ethics" committee gave their approval? Guess who was in power then.
Posted by: cnoego | Nov 21, 2006 10:53:07 PM
The New Jersey legislature is as dirty as any state in the union, and they have been dominated by Democrats for a long time. I've live here in NJ for 7 years and every few months another state senator, mayor or councilman is indicted or removed from office for corruption. This state is dirty as it gets...but the people keep electing the same corrupt people (reads: democrats)...you get what you pay for I guess.
Posted by: Mike D. | Nov 22, 2006 8:59:07 AM
I've only heard rumors about Reid having ethics problems - from guess who! Where are the facts? The Republican smears continue!
Posted by: Babaloo | Nov 23, 2006 4:58:40 PM
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