Yesterday, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine were indicted on three federal charges of accepting bribes. The bulk of these were to assist securing Egyptian foreign aid which, as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez was well placed to influence. Gifts included cash, gold bars, payments towards a home mortgage and gifts from three New Jersey businessmen.
The senator wasted no time in seeking out reporters:
“These charges are a complete surprise. I categorically deny they are not a complete surprise. In fact, I plan to enter a plea today and I plead that I know nothing about all of this, you’ll have to ask my wife. She alone will know the facts. I have little to do with household matters.
For example, I hear that hundreds of thousands of cash dollars were found in our home. Well, I only wish I had known that. I could have used some of that. With the small weekly allowance Nadine provides I owe half the Senate lunch money and bus fares! Today I borrowed $15 for lunch from the cheapskate Rand Paul, of all people. Believe me, Nadine and I have a lot to discuss when I get home tonight, like where’d she meet all those Egyptians? I do wish her well, however, and will stand by her side all the way to sentencing. I’ll have more to say after she’s arrested. Thank you.”
In these days of rampant corruption it is refreshing to encounter complete transparency. Good luck, Senator Menendez!