Ethics committee "severely" admonishes Menendez
The Senate Ethics Committee has "severely admonished" Sen. Bob Menendez, concluding the New Jersey Democrat "violated Senate rules and related statutes, and reflected discredit upon the Senate."
Menendez, who is running for reelection this year, faced a public corruption trial last year that ended in a mistrial. Menendez was accused of accepting gifts from wealthy donor Salomon Melgen, in exchange for political influence. The Department of Justice decided not to retry the case.
The committee also called on Menendez to "repay the fair market value of all impermissible gifts not already repaid, and amend your financial disclosure reports to include all reportable gifts. Finally, by this letter, you are hereby severely admonished."
The Senate panel began its review in 2012, renewing it after the bribery trial ended with a deadlocked jury.
"The way this case started was wrong. The way it was investigated was wrong. The way it was prosecuted was wrong. And the way it was tried was wrong as well," Menendez said when the mistrial was declared last year.
The filing deadline in New Jersey has passed, so Democrats have no choice but to stick with Menendez in the 2018 race.
