The Justice Department will accuse Senator Robert Menedez of criminal corruption

Monday, March 9, 2015 - 11:15am

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What happened?
The U.S. Department of Justice said that it is going to accuse Senator Robert Menendez.
They are going to charge him with corruption.
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They have been investigating him for more than two years.
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They will charge him in about two weeks.
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Who is Menendez?
Robert Menendez is a senator from New Jersey.
He is a Democrat.
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He has been in Congress for more than 20 years.
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He is the son of Cuban immigrants.
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He was one of the few Democrats who criticized Obama for establishing relations with Cuba.
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It vindicates the brutal behavior of the Cuban government.
Robert Menendez, Senator from New Jersey
What does the Justice Department say that Menendez did?
Salomon Melgen is a opthamologist. He is also a businessman.
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He runs eye clinics in Florida.
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He is a friend of Menendez. He also donated money to Menendez.
Show him giving a check to Menendez; they're standig together outside his eye clinic.
The Justice Department says that Menendez used his power as a senator to benefit Salomon Melgen.
Melgen and Medicare and Medicaid billing
Melgen had been accused of billing the government too much for Medicare and Medicaid services.
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The government said that Melgen had billed $8.9 million too much at one of his clinics.
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Twice, in 2009 and 2012, Menendez tried to help Melgen by telling officials that they were being unfair.
Show Menendez talking to people at the Medicare office
Menendez says that he said they were being unfair to all doctors, not just Melgen.
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Melgen and the port investment in the Dominican Republic
Melgen was the chief investor in a company that wanted to provide security for a port in the Dominican Republic.
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The U.S. government was planning on giving security equipment to the port.
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This would have hurt Melgen's business.
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In 2012, Melgen donated $700,000 to help Menendez and other Democrats.
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Melgen's staff then tried to tell the U.S. government not to provide the equipment to the Dominican Republic.
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What does Menendez say?
I have always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law
Robert Menendez, Senator from New Jersey
"I am not going anywhere." -- Menendez
Menendez at a podium.
You can watch Menendez's statement here.