U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) made an effort on Monday to rationalize the specifics of his criminal charge by asserting his readiness to confront various circumstances in his life, drawing upon his family’s experience in the communist nation of Cuba.
Menendez revealed a cache of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden away in clothes, closets, and a safe. “For thirty years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” he said.
In a prior raid on his New Jersey residence, federal agents took pictures of what they claim to be proof of payments sent to Menendez in exchange for him applying political pressure on foreign officials to the advantage of a number of his campaign contributors.
WATCH:
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on law enforcement finding thousands of dollars in cash in his closets:
“For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account .. for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba.” pic.twitter.com/1au7KwipeO
— The Recount (@therecount) September 25, 2023
“A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” he continued. “The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system. We cannot set aside the resumption of innocence for political expediency when the harm is irrevocable… Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them.”
WATCH:
Sen. Menendez: “A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system. We cannot set aside the resumption… pic.twitter.com/wXZz60rXj1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 25, 2023
The formidable Democrat resigned from his post as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Friday; according to the prosecution, he used the position to pressure the Egyptian government to deal with halal food manufacturers based in New Jersey who had no prior experience doing business in the Muslim nation.
“Remember, sometimes prosecutors make mistakes. Sen. Menendez continued, “Unfortunately, I am aware of that,” referring to his prior acquittal over comparable charges of corruption. A jury deadlocked in November 2017 on allegations ranging from conspiracy to bribery, and certain counts were dropped by the court.
Democrats are in a tight hold on the upper house and will have a difficult time retaining it in the elections in the following year. Representing a consistently blue state, Menendez could potentially end up becoming an albatross for his party, which is already struggling to reelect Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Sen. Menendez might still be the subject of an additional investigation by the IRS, which revealed in May that it was looking into possible tax irregularities involving the Democrat from New Jersey.
The post Indicted Den Senator Makes Bizarre Claims In Shocking Press Conference appeared first on The Republic Brief.
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