WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez faces another federal investigation about five years after a trial on federal corruption charges ended in a mistrial, a Menendez adviser confirmed Wednesday.
“Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation that was reported on today; however, he does not know the scope of the investigation,” the adviser, Michael Soliman, said in an email. “As always, should any official inquiries be made, the senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office.”
The new investigation was first reported by digital news organization Semafor, which cited two unnamed people familiar with the probe being conducted by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
In the earlier case, federal prosecutors accused Menendez of doing political favors for Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor, in exchange for private jet trips, luxury vacations and campaign contributions. Menendez argued that the two men were friends and that there was no quid pro quo.
Menendez was tried on bribery charges in 2017, but a jury couldn’t reach a verdict and the judge in the case declared a mistrial. Jurors said most members of the panel favored acquitting the senator. The Justice Department initially sought to retry Menendez but later dropped the case.
Menendez, 68, is serving in his third term in the Senate.
Melgen was convicted in a separate case of defrauding Medicare, but the sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump in one of his last acts in office in 2021.
