NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – It’s a tale of international jet-setting, $1,500-a-night hotel rooms and, for good measure, allegations of affairs with models and actresses.
Beyond the tabloid angles, this week’s corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and a wealthy friend promises to put the very business of governing under a microscope – and could eventually lead to a Republican taking over his seat in the deeply divided Senate.
Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday in the trial of Menendez and a Florida ophthalmologist, Dr. Salomon Melgen.
They are charged with a conspiracy in which, prosecutors say, Menendez lobbied for Melgen’s business interests in exchange for political donations and gifts that included luxury vacations, flights on Melgen’s plane and stays at his private villa in an exclusive Dominican Republic resort frequented by celebrities including Beyonce and Jay-Z.
The indictment also alleges Menendez pressured State Department officials to give visas to three young women described as Melgen’s girlfriends.