Mr. Menendez’s office issued its own statement calling Dr. Melgen “a friend and political supporter” for many years. The statement also said Mr. Menendez had reimbursed Dr. Melgen for the cost of plane trips but disputed that he had any involvement with prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.
However, Mr. Menendez only paid back the doctor two years after the trips.
A nearby resident in the neighborhood where Dr. Melgen’s office was raided this week said a sign on the door said the office was closed but would reopen on Friday.
Despite his money troubles, Dr. Melgen and his family members have doled out more than $426,000 in campaign donations since 1992, with a large portion going to Mr. Menendez or organizations with which the senator has been affiliated, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Dr. Melgen and family gave more than $30,000 to Mr. Menendez’s campaign and nearly twice as much to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Mr. Menendez led from 2009 to 2011.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Jim McElhatton is an investigative reporter for The Washington Times. He can be reached at jmcelhatton@washingtontimes.com.
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