Senator Robert Menendez wants to hang on to his Senate seat and who can blame him? It has served him well.
The pending indictment against Menendez alleges a mind-boggling level of depravity and corruption. Among other things, he seems to have abused his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a disgusting manner. The betrayal of trust involved is difficult to fathom.
Having dodged the bullet on the corruption charges that resulted in a hung verdict the last time around, Menendez is a lucky guy. Mendendez nevertheless seems to have taken it as a sign to get on with it.
The prosecutors’ press release on the indictment includes photos of Menendez’s allegedly ill-gotten gains. The photos depict wads of cash, fancy gold bars, and a deluxe Mercedes. At his press conference yesterday, Menendez invoked his Cuban heritage in explaining that the cash was a safeguard against confiscation and a provision for “emergencies.” I think it is fair to apply Occam’s razor and infer that Menendez was in a cash business.
The corruption alleged in the indictment is so gross that it gives one pause. Would a sane man in Menendez’s position do what Menendez is alleged to have done? That is one argument Menendez hasn’t tried. I would find it more plausible than the Cuban defense, but only slightly.
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