REPORT: Sen. Harry Reid tied to corruption case
The corruption trial of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez — allegedly bribed by wealthy friend and campaign donor Salomon Melgen for governmental favors — may begin next week, and it’s already causing friction now that then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is shown to have played a part in helping Menendez to “amplify the pressure” on the Obama administration, the Justice Department said on Thursday.
A report in Bloomberg detailed the story, in which Menendez (D-N.J.) “enlisted” Reid in November 2011 to help pressure the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS, to reverse its ruling that Melgen owed $8.9 million for overbilling Medicare. Melgen is a Florida eye doctor and close friend of Menendez’. Melgen is accused of bribing the senator with hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and lavish trips in exchange for his help on government disputes.