Republicans Target Senate Democrats Over Menendez Contributions

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Republicans Target Senate Democrats Over Menendez Contributions
Monday, March 9, 2015 02:12 PM

By: Kathleen Hunter

Republicans are making clear they will do whatever they can to turn Senator Robert Menendez's legal troubles into a campaign liability for Menendez's fellow Democrats, starting with their No. 1 target for 2016: Minority Leader Harry Reid.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is demanding that Reid pay back campaign contributions Menendez made to the Nevada Democrat during Reid's 2010 campaign. In press release Monday, the group said Reid had in the past returned money from donors who were under indictment.

“Harry Reid’s cardinal rule is if you’ve been indicted by the federal government, then he immediately returns your campaign contributions,” said NRSC spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “With Senator Menendez set to be indicted for corruption, Reid needs to abide by his own policy and dump the money he’s received from his corrupt Democrat colleague.”

The U.S. Justice Department is preparing corruption charges against Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, a person familiar with the investigation said on March 6. Menendez was the panel's chairman before his party lost control of the Senate in January.

In a news conference on March 6, Menendez denied wrongdoing and said he won’t leave office.

Prosecutors have been examining whether Menendez illegally promoted the business interests of a friend and campaign donor, Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist. The Justice Department will probably seek charges in the next few weeks, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public.

Menendez contributed $10,000 to Reid in 2009 through his leadership PAC, New Millennium PAC. He hasn't donated to Reid's 2016 re-election efforts.

Reid is the most high-profile—though not the only—Democrat whom Republicans seek to link to Menendez through campaign contributions. The group is also targeting other recipients of Menendez cash, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennet; Pennsylvania Senate candidate Joe Sestak, a former congressman; and Representative Chris Van Hollen, who is seeking a Maryland Senate seat.

Menendez, 61, served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during the 2010 campaign cycle and donated $389,000 through his leadership PAC to Democrats that year, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington group that tracks campaign spending.

Politico reported Monday that Reid voluntarily spoke to investigators last year about the Menendez investigation. Politico said its sources, whom it didn't identify, described Reid as a witness in the case. Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Harry Reid Interviewed By Feds in Menendez Case
Monday, March 9, 2015 02:37 PM

By: Andrea Billups

Federal investigators met and interviewed Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid as they looked into his Democrat colleague Robert Menendez's role in helping Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen navigate a dispute his company had with the government, Politico reported.

Sources told the website that Reid voluntarily acted as a witness in the case as Menendez turned to the party leader to intervene in what was described as a multimillion-dollar-billing dispute, Politico said.

Reid is under increased scrutiny over his connection and also under attack by some Republicans who say the Nevada lawmaker should quickly ask Menendez to step down from his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They also want Reid to return $10,000 that Menendez donated to Reid's re-election campaign.

Thus far, Menendez has declined to step aside.

Reid had met with Menendez and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services acting head Marilyn Tavenner in 2012 about the dispute. They also met with Kathleen Sebelius, who then led the Department of Health and Human Services.

Complicating the optics, Menendez was at the time making large donations to a super PAC headed by former aides of Reid, Politico noted.

Menendez is expected to be indicted within weeks and has set up a legal defense fund. He has denied wrongdoing in the case and has continued to be "defiant," the Daily Kos said.

Menendez said last week that he "always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law," CNN said.

"And I am not going anywhere," the New Jersey Democrat told reporters.