The Miami Herald reports that
the FBI on Tuesday night raided the office of a doctor whom news reports have
linked with embattled Sen. Robert Menendez, the man poised to take over as
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
According to The Herald, agents
raided the West Palm Beach office of Dr. Salmon Melgen, who another press
outlet, the Daily Caller, suggested in reports last year had paid for Mr.
Menendez to take trips to the Dominican Republic and even arranged for
prostitutes for the senator.
It was unclear whether the
Tuesday raid was targeted at Mr. Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, or some other
aspect of Dr. Melgen's business. The Herald said he has an outstanding IRS lien
of $11.1 million.
Mr. Menendez has denied the
allegations, and Senate Democratic leaders on Tuesday ridiculed questions about
the investigation.
"All anyone here has to look at
is the source where this comes from. It's a source that has brought up a lot of
nonissues," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. The
Washington Times
Menendez is slated to take over
as chairman of the powerful Senate foreign affairs committee when Massachusetts
Democratic Sen. John Kerry becomes secretary of state. The full Senate confirmed
Kerry’s nomination on Tuesday. The Daily Caller Melgen was first linked to
Menendez just before the November elections, when the conservative Daily Caller
website interviewed two alleged prostitutes who said they had relations with the
New Jersey Democrat at Melgen’s Dominican Republic mansion in Casa de Campo. The
Miami Herald Days before Menendez was about to
start leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as chairman, reporters
started receiving a 58-page dossier of emails between a Miami FBI agent and a
tipster who claimed that some of the prostitutes had been underage. The Miami
Herald The FBI opened an inquiry into
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez on August 1, 2012, focusing on repeated
trips he took to the Dominican Republic with longtime campaign contributor and
Miami eye doctor Salomon Melgen. The Daily caller
ISH/HJ
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