Report: FBI investigating Sen. Menendez over prostitution claims

The FBI is investigating allegations that Sen. Rob. Menendez, D-N.J., patronized prostitutes in the Dominican Republic, two people familiar with the investigation told the Washington Post.

One source told the Post that investigators are focused on whether Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor and major Menendez donor, provided the Menendez with prostitutes while he was vacationing in the Caribbean nation. Another person indicated that the FBI is looking into allegations of underage prostitution and sex parties.

The FBI, according to the sources, was tipped off by a series of anonymous emails alleging that Menendez had patronized the prostitutes while vacationing at Melgen's resort home in the Dominican Republic. Prostitution is not illegal in the Dominican Republic, but solicitation of underage prostitutes is.

According to the Post, the FBI is also investigating whether Menendez has improperly pressured U.S. officials to lobby for a port security contract in the island nation that would benefit Melgen, who is invested in the company holding the contract. A politician who accepts gifts or favors in exchange for official acts can be prosecuted for abusing public office.

Menendez has fiercely denied the allegations, saying, "All of those smears are absolutely false, and that's the bottom line."

The prostitution claims have been swirling since last Spring, when the anonymous tipster alerted a government watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), of the allegations. Despite some questions about the veracity of the tipster's claims - the organization could not get the individual to meet or speak on the telephone - CREW forwarded the allegations to the FBI in July.

The tipster's letters included the names of several women who had allegedly had improper relations with Menendez and Melgen, but several of the women named have come forward to deny any connection to the matter. One woman, Svitlana Buchyk, told the Miami Herald that she worked for Melgen and considered him a "generous person," but her lawyer, Gerald Greenberg, explained to the Washington Post, "Ms. Buchyk is an actress and model attending to her career. Any allegation that she had an improper relationship with Senator Menendez or anyone else is sheer nonsense."

An FBI spokesman and Melgen and his attorneys declined to comment for the Post article.

Menendez's relationship with his donor and friend Melgen has been the basis of several recent snafus. The senator admitted this month that he did not properly disclose two 2010 trips on Melgen's private plane to Melgen's Dominican villa. The Senate Ethics Committee is looking into the matter.

• Senate Ethics Committee investigating Menendez
• Menendez blasts "absolutely false" prostitution "smears"

Melgen is also the subject of a separate investigation examining whether he defrauded the government by overcharging Medicare for millions of dollars in unnecessary treatments. The FBI raided Melgen's Palm Beach clinic on Jan. 29, collecting boxes of documents pursuant to their inquiry.

[Independent11]

I've been following this story which broke a while ago in The Daily Caller. The writer, now at breitbart.com, is still investigating and reporting on it in depth. It is a story that just keeps getting scummier by the week. For interviews with some of the underage girls about sick, out of hand sex parties with Menendez on a yacht from which they could not escape, and a whole lot more, go to breitbart.com.

[wfw3536]

Time for this loser to step down and face the consequences of sex with a underage girl or girls, along with the 58,000 he took, or that's right now after he was caught returned.

[ammo17]

and what makes everyone think he was after the young women.you know he had that illegal man on his staff.something really stinks here.

[kenodenis]

Look at Menendez' face and tell me he looks normal. If he was using under-age prostitutes, it's because he never matured beyond the age of 12 himself. No problem, he'll get booted out of office with a terrific pension so who cares.

[matt6052]

He reimbursed $58,000 for $8,000 of travel. World's oldest scholarship pageant. At least it didn't cost the head of John the Baptist, this time.

[tmittelstaed]

So, let me get this straight.

A sworn police officer comes forward and fingers a Republican congressman who admitted to soliciting gay sex in an airport bathroom - and that guy isn't censured and is still in office.

An anonymous source fingers a Democratic congressman for having hetrosexual sex with consenting adults in a foreigh country and the FBI spends a million dollars on whitchhunt?

Is there a double standard here or is it just that gay sex is accepted to the Republicans and straight sex is not?

[judymar14]

So what if he did if he didn't use government money to pay them. The FBI could be put to better use capturing gun-runners who sell guns to gangbangers.

[acutabove29]

Nobody claimed he was abusing government funds, just under age sex workers (statutory rape in this country). His real 'moral' and legal issue is his alleged acceptance of monies/favors in exchange for policy votes, ie: abuse of office, and that, in my opinion, ought to get him 5-10 years, minimum. Unless we start sending those who abuse their position at the expense of the citizens of this country to prison, those with money and power will continue to take advantage, because a slap on the wrist or a fine will never be a deterrent. This attitude should not be restricted to politicians, as there are many in charge who abuse their power (wall street, corporations, etc.)

[nobs10]

All the wittnesses are getting bought of or scared off. Mendenez leaves a trail of questionable behavior that somehow gets ovetlooked. The way he looks on the outside is how he thinks on the inside, obviously it ain't pretty.