Feds drop all charges against Bob Menendez!

[JustAnotherGen]

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/01/bob_menendez_indictment_dismissed.html


By Ted Sherman [e-mail],
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

In a shocking turnaround, the U.S. Justice Department has dropped its case against Sen. Robert Menendez.

In a court in Newark on Wednesday, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the corruption indictment against the New Jersey Democrat after a federal judge last week acquitted Menendez and his co-defendant, Salomon Melgen, of seven of the 18 counts against them.

Both were facing a retrial after a deadlocked jury could not reach a verdict in the high-profile case in November.

"Given the impact of the court's Jan. 24 order on the charges and the evidence admissible in a retrial, the United States has determined that it will not retry the defendants on the remaining charges," said Department of Justice spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman.

Hours later, Chief Judge Jose Linares signed an order of dismissal.

This is why I said "no" when the question of him retiring came up. It's been bullshit from word go.

[brer cat]

1. Good news, JAG! nt

[Iliyah]

2. WOW

I know he is relieved.

Didn't Sessions wanted to pursue it even more?

[Gothmog]

3. After the SCOTUS ruling in the McDonald case, these cases are hard to win

[GaryCnf]

4. Agreed

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Yep

If he wants to not run again - it's his choice.

I fear in the time of Murphy and Booker - he might not survive the primary IF Johnson runs.

[procon]

6. They never had anything to begin with.

No kudos to Menendez on this one, he acted as allowed within our corrupted political system.
Bob McDonnell, Republican Governor of Virginia did similar things and got himself indicted and convicted on federal corruption charges. He insisted he did not break the law and the Supreme Court agreed, and unanimously vacated McDonnell's conviction. The prosecution knew how this would rollout, but they want to score some cheap political points.

So, boys and girls, if a Republican do it, so can a Democrat.

[Cicada]

7. The McConnell decision narrowing bribery didnt hurt

I am not saying Menendez traded favors for contributions but the McConnell decision said it was legal to trade favors for money, under fed bribery rules, so long as the favor was not an “official action” defined very narrowly. So even if they COULD prove quid pro quo for many favors he would still walk. So this decision is not surprising.