A friend of New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and Democratic Party mega-donor Dr. Salomon Melgen may have mistakenly confirmed more details of the senator’s alleged wrongdoing.
On Monday, Dominican Republic lawyer and politician Vinicio Castillo Seman confirmed that Menendez was at the posh Casa de Campo resort on Easter last year.
“I’ve known Menendez as a friend and of my cousin Salomon Melgen,” Castillo said, according to the news outlet Dominican Today. “No one has come forward on the allegations and evil accusations, we spend every Easter together in Casa de Campo.”
Menendez is currently under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee for his relationship with Melgen.
Flight path records from Melgen’s private jet obtained by Breitbart News indicate Melgen’s plane flew from his home city of West Palm Beach, Florida, to Teterboro, New Jersey, then directly to the Dominican Republic on Easter Sunday. Menendez and his staff have not answered when asked repeatedly whether he was on that flight.
Menendez has admitted to three flights on Melgen’s private jet, all of which he said took place in 2010. Two of them went unreported until early 2013, when Menendez cut Melgen a check from his personal bank account to reimburse the doctor for those two 2010 flights.
If Menendez is found to have been on that plane more than the three flights in 2010–including the suspected Easter flight–he will have misled the American people. “Senator Menendez has traveled on Dr. Melgen’s plane on three occasions, all of which have been paid for and reported appropriately,” Menendez’s office said in a statement as the scandal heated up a couple weeks ago.
For the more than three months since this reporter broke the scandal, the senator and his staff have not provided any alternate explanation as to his whereabouts on Easter last year.
Menendez’s spokeswoman did not respond to Breitbart News’ request for comment in response to confirmation of his Easter whereabouts. They have also not responded when asked how Menendez got to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic for the Easter celebration this year.
Fox News uncovered an instance from 2008 in which Menendez allegedly flew on Melgen’s plane to the Dominican as well. Fox cited anonymous sources who told the network that Menendez was definitely on the plane. After Fox News’ story was posted, Menendez’s spokesperson called it “simply not true.”
Despite the fact the FBI is investigating Menendez and Melgen, Castillo said he wants the FBI and DEA to team up and investigate the new media and others who have uncovered the story. He thinks the reporters and publications covering the story are part of a conspiracy targeting him.
“Faced with the gravity of what has occurred we will file an criminal accusation against those who have published the calumny against me, Menendez, Melgen, in the dirty web campaign,” he said. “Cooperation between the FBI and DEA can clarify the sources and the motives behind the effort to tarnish the careers of Menendez; these are narco interest behind allegations.”
In breaking the Menendez scandal before the election, this reporter interviewed two Dominican Republic prostitutes alleged that they were underpaid to have sex with Menendez around Easter time last year at Casa de Campo.
This reporter agreed to protect the identities of the women given the dangers of the sex trafficking industry in the Dominican.
Menendez denies soliciting prostitutes.
Castillo came out in Menendez’s defense after he was personally accused in the scandal as well. One prostitute, in a handwritten note, named him as a having taken part in sex parties at Melgen’s Casa de Campo villa as well. He also denies the allegations.
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