Bob Menendez: “I come to the Senate floor to respond to a series of accusations raised by the U.S. attorney of the Southern District of…”

“I come to the Senate floor to respond to a series of accusations raised by the U.S. attorney of the Southern District of New York. First, I would note that this is the second superseding indictment brought forth by the government. It should be noted that all of the information presented in the superseding indictments were fully available to the government since the beginning of this process and for at least a year prior to the bringing of this indictment, which, therefore, begs the question: Why did the government not proceed with all of these accusations from the beginning? The answer is clear to me. By filing three indictments--one in late September, a second one a few weeks later in mid-October, and the third one just last week, in early January--it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press. It poisons the jury pool, and it seeks to convict me in a court of public opinion. In so doing, the government's tactics harm not just me but each of you, my colleagues, the political establishment, and, most importantly, the electorate of New Jersey. The sensationalized allegations are now creating a rising call for my resignation, despite my innocence and before a single piece of evidence has even been introduced in a court of law. The U.S. Attorney's Office has engaged not in a prosecution but a persecution. They seek a victory, not justice. We have seen this play out with other prosecutions of public officers.…”