Menendez Same-Day Service Seen Upending His Just Friends Defense
For federal prosecutors, the timing of favors by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez will be the key to their bribery case against him.
No mentions of videotapes or explicit e-mails showing a quid pro quo between Menendez and Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye surgeon, appear in their indictment. Instead, the government will probably rely on witnesses and circumstantial evidence to prove a corrupt link between Menendez’s actions and Melgen’s gifts to him, said former prosecutors who reviewed the 68-page indictment.
Some of Menendez’s favors came the same day, or within days, of those gifts. In all, the New Jersey Democrat is accused of taking almost $1 million in campaign donations, luxury travel, opulent vacations and other gifts to further Melgen’s interests.
The senator intervened to help Melgen in a Medicare overbilling case, a contract dispute with the Dominican Republic and visa applications for three girlfriends, according to the Justice Department.
“The same-day service is perhaps the most damaging evidence against Menendez and Melgen,” said Scott Coffina, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice at Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP. “The closer in time, the stronger the inference that it’s a quid pro quo.”
more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-07/menendez-same-day-service-seen-upending-his-just-friends-defense