Senator Bob Menendez Indicted in Corruption Case

Sen. Bob Menendez has been charged with using his office to improperly benefit a Florida eye doctor and political donor. A federal grand jury today indicted the New Jersey Democrat on charges including conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. Prosecutors had been investigating whether Menendez improperly advocated for the business interests of Salomon Melgen, including by intervening on the doctor's behalf in a medical billing dispute. He is expected to be arraigned in federal court as early as tomorrow.

Menendez has acknowledged that he flew on Melgen's private plane to the Dominican Republic and failed at first to properly pay for the trips. He later made reimbursements. Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has previously said he's done nothing wrong and that he and Melgen have been close friends for a long time.