Menendez says cash present in search was for private use
One of the vital hanging facets of Robert Menendez’s indictment was pictures displaying bundles of money that investigators present in his house throughout a search final yr.
Prosecutors say the senator and his spouse accepted bribes from brokers of the Egyptian authorities, and investigators discovered a complete of $480,000 stuffed in a secure, clothes and closets all through his house.
In his press convention, the senator addressed the cash. “For 30 years, I’ve withdrawn 1000s of {dollars} in money from my private financial savings accounts, which I’ve saved for emergencies and due to the historical past of my household dealing with confiscation in Cuba,” stated Menendez, whose mother and father are from the island.
“Now this may occasionally appear quaint, however these had been monies drawn from my private financial savings accounts based mostly on the earnings that I’ve lawfully derived over these 30 years. I stay up for addressing different points in trial.”
Key occasions
Joe Biden at this time welcomed the leaders of Pacific island nations to the White Home in a bid to counter China’s courtship of the strategically essential area. Right here’s extra on the go to’s significance, from the Guardian’s Siosifa Pomana and Julian Borger:
Joe Biden has supplied $40bn in financial assist to Pacific islands at a White Home assembly with leaders from the area aimed toward bolstering US engagement within the face of rising a rising Chinese language presence.
The president additionally introduced formal US recognition of two new island nations, the Cook dinner Islands and Niue, firstly of the Pacific Islands Discussion board, two days of Washington conferences with leaders from the group’s 18 members.
“America dedicated to making sure an Indo-Pacific area that’s free, open, affluent and safe. We’re dedicated to working with all of the nations round this desk to attain that objective,” Biden stated on the discussion board’s welcoming ceremony.
The visiting leaders having been feted by the administration, introduced down from New York the place most attended the UN normal meeting, on a particular practice to Baltimore the place they had been take to an American soccer recreation on the Baltimore Ravens’ stadium. There they had been introduced out on area and celebrated for “for his or her roles as American pals within the Indo-Pacific”.
The Pacific leaders had been additionally taken onboard a US Coast Guard cutter in Baltimore Harbor they usually had been briefed by the Coast Guard commandant, Adm Linda Fagan, on operations to fight unlawful fishing and handle maritime domains. Over the subsequent two days they’ll meet prime members of the administration. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield will host a dinner for the guests on Monday evening, and on the second evening, the Australian embassy will host a barbecue.
“I believe what the Biden administration has been capable of do is to step up our recreation significantly in a brief time period within the Indo-Pacific,” a senior administration official stated. “We now have deep ethical, strategic and historic pursuits right here. And I believe we’re reaffirming that promise.”
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged the query when requested whether or not Joe Biden believes Bob Menendez ought to resign his Senate seat.
From her press convention at this time:
The White Home declines to name on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), indicted on corruption and bribery-related expenses, to resign from workplace:
“After all we see this as a critical matter. And I’m simply going to go away it there for now.” pic.twitter.com/9nzIA5a25W
— The Recount (@therecount) September 25, 2023
Edwin Rios
Far-right Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has drawn ridicule for utilizing a picture of a Hanukah menorah in an try and commemorate the unrelated Jewish vacation of Yom Kippur.
Inexperienced on Sunday posted a message on X – beforehand referred to as Twitter – on Sunday wishing observers a significant quick for Monday’s statement of Yom Kippur. She tried so as to add a conventional Yom Kippur greeting however misspelled it: “Gamar Chasima Tova!”
The backlash quickly ensued.
Critics famous that Greene’s use of a menorah in her message acknowledged a totally unrelated Jewish vacation noticed in December. Previous feedback of hers which alluded to antisemitic tropes additionally undermined her message to Jewish observers.
Greene subsequently deleted the unique publish with out an apology and reposted the unique textual content with out the menorah picture.
John Fetterman, the primary senator to name for Robert Menendez to resign, stated he plans to provide again the $5,000 that he acquired from the New Jersey senator in the direction of his 2022 marketing campaign.
The Pennsylvania senator desires to return the donation in envelopes stuffed with hundred-dollar payments, the Messenger reported.
“We’re in technique of returning the cash,” stated a spokesperson for Fetterman, “in envelopes filled with $100 payments.”
Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis to debate in November
Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom will participate in a televised debate on 30 November.
The 90-minute debate will likely be moderated by Fox Information host Sean Hannity and air on Hannity’s 9pm prime-time program.
In a press release issued by way of the community, Hannity stated he’s “wanting ahead to offering viewers with an informative debate in regards to the on a regular basis points and governing philosophies that affect the lives of each American.”
DeSantis can be scheduled to additionally take part within the second GOP main debate on Wednesday. Donald Trump, the clear frontrunner within the Republican race, won’t attend.
Martin Pengelly
Observers reacted to Donald Trump’s risk to NBC, MSNBC and Comcast with a mix of familiarity and alarm.
In a press release, Andrew Bates, White Home deputy press secretary, stated:
To abuse presidential energy and violate the constitutional rights of reporters can be an outrageous assault on our democracy and the rule of legislation. Presidents should at all times defend Individuals’ freedoms – by no means trample on them for egocentric, small and harmful political functions.
Elsewhere, Paul Farhi, media reporter for the Washington Submit, pointed to Trump’s symbiotic relationship with retailers he professes to hate, provided that solely final week Trump was “the featured interview visitor final week on Meet the Press, the signature Sunday morning information program on … NBC”.
Others noted that on Monday evening, the previous White Home aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness for the Home committee that investigated the January 6 assault on Congress, which Trump incited, was because of be interviewed on MSNBC.
Sounding a louder alarm, Occupy Democrats, a progressive advocacy group, said Trump had gone “full fascist” with an “unhinged Sunday-night rant”.
Martin Pengelly
Donald Trump stated Comcast, the proprietor of NBC and MSNBC, “must be investigated for its ‘Nation Threatening Treason’” and promised to take action ought to he be re-elected president subsequent yr.
In response, one progressive group stated the previous US president and present overwhelming frontrunner within the Republican 2024 presidential nomination race had “gone full fascist”.
The Biden White Home stated Trump threatened “an outrageous assault on our democracy and the rule of legislation”.
The US media was “virtually all dishonest and corrupt”, Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform on Sunday, “however Comcast, with its one-side and harsh protection by NBC Information, and specifically MSNBC … must be investigated for its ‘Nation Threatening Treason’.”
Itemizing acquainted complaints about protection of his presidency – throughout which he often threatened NBC, MSNBC and Comcast – Trump added:
I say up entrance, overtly, and proudly, that once I win the presidency of the USA, they and others of the lamestream media will likely be completely scrutinized for his or her knowingly dishonest and corrupt protection of individuals, issues, and occasions.
Trump additionally used acquainted phrases of abuse for the press: “the enemy of the individuals” and “the pretend information media”.
The day to date
In a defiant speech to reporters, New Jersey’s Democratic senator Robert Menendez rejected expenses introduced in opposition to him by federal prosecutors, who claimed he illegally used his place to assist the Egyptian authorities in trade for bribes. He made clear he wouldn’t step down, however remained imprecise about whether or not he’d run for re-election, and stated the money investigators turned up at his home was merely for emergencies.
Right here’s what else has been occurring at this time:
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Joe Biden cheered a tentative settlement to finish the Hollywood writers’ strike, forward of his go to deliberate for tomorrow to a United Auto Employees picket line in Michigan.
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One other Home Democrat, Pennsylvania’s Summer time Lee, says Menendez ought to resign.
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Donald Trump will skip Wednesday’s debate of Republican presidential candidates to make his personal go to to hanging autoworkers in Michigan.
Talking of the 2024 election, right here’s the Guardian’s Adam Gabbatt with a have a look at the political scenario in New York, a state that would show essential to Democrats’ efforts to retake the Home subsequent yr:
In Anthony D’Esposito’s New York congressional district, Democrats are licking their lips.
The Republican received an surprising election to the Home of Representatives in 2022, styling himself as a reasonable in a traditionally Democratic district that Joe Biden had simply received by 14 factors two years earlier.
However final week D’Esposito, together with different self-styled moderates, gave his tacit approval to the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, an inquiry championed by the far-right members of the Republican get together.
The inquiry, into Hunter Biden’s enterprise affairs and unsubstantiated accusations of corruption by the president, has turn out to be an emblem of the vengeful, extremist politics of far-right Republican figures like Marjorie Taylor-Greene. Sensing an opportunity, Democrats in D’Esposito’s Lengthy Island district, simply east of New York Metropolis, at the moment are planning to tie him to his extra rabid colleagues and win again the seat.
“We’re definitely going to make it a problem and it’s a legal responsibility for him right here,” stated Jay Jacobs, the chair of the native Democratic get together in Nassau county, which makes up a lot of the fourth congressional district, which D’Esposito represents.
One factor to notice about Robert Menendez’s assertion to the press at this time: he didn’t explicitly say he was operating for re-election.
Moderately, he stated he can be exonerated and “nonetheless will likely be New Jersey’s senior senator”. That’s nearly as good a sign as any that he doesn’t plan to resign, as a number of fellow Democratic lawmakers have referred to as for him to do, however he didn’t specify what his future can be past subsequent yr, when his present time period in workplace expires.
John Fetterman was the primary senator to name for Robert Menendez to resign, and seems to be rolling his eyes at his colleague’s assertion that the money at his home was merely for emergencies:
Right here’s the second from at this time’s press convention by which Robert Menendez addressed the bundles of money investigators present in his home:
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on legislation enforcement discovering hundreds of {dollars} in money in his closets:
“For 30 years, I’ve withdrawn hundreds of {dollars} in money from my private financial savings account .. for emergencies and due to the historical past of my household dealing with confiscation in Cuba.” pic.twitter.com/1au7KwipeO
— The Recount (@therecount) September 25, 2023
The senator didn’t, nevertheless, touch upon the gold bars investigators say they turned up, and which they allege had been proceeds from his illicit help to Egypt.
As Menendez was talking, one other Democratic lawmaker referred to as on him to step down.
“Senator Menendez should resign. Corruption is corruption. Bribery is bribery,” freshman Home consultant Summer time Lee of Pennsylvania stated in a press release.
She likened the allegations in opposition to the senator to considerations surrounding conservative supreme courtroom justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and their ties to events with pursuits within the courtroom’s choices:
We are able to’t discuss holding Thomas and Alito accountable for promoting out our freedoms for luxurious holidays and personal jet flights if we fail to carry a Senator accountable for promoting out his chairmanship to a dictator gifting gold bars and money to maintain army assist flowing to Egypt as its authorities violates human rights. Menendez is after all owed due course of, however the American persons are owed belief in our establishments. Our battle in opposition to right-wing fascism is determined by that belief.
Menendez says cash present in search was for private use
One of the vital hanging facets of Robert Menendez’s indictment was pictures displaying bundles of money that investigators present in his house throughout a search final yr.
Prosecutors say the senator and his spouse accepted bribes from brokers of the Egyptian authorities, and investigators discovered a complete of $480,000 stuffed in a secure, clothes and closets all through his house.
In his press convention, the senator addressed the cash. “For 30 years, I’ve withdrawn 1000s of {dollars} in money from my private financial savings accounts, which I’ve saved for emergencies and due to the historical past of my household dealing with confiscation in Cuba,” stated Menendez, whose mother and father are from the island.
“Now this may occasionally appear quaint, however these had been monies drawn from my private financial savings accounts based mostly on the earnings that I’ve lawfully derived over these 30 years. I stay up for addressing different points in trial.”
Menendez additionally not directly hit out at those that have referred to as for him to step down from the Senate following his indictment, accusing them of a rush to judgment.
“The courtroom of public opinion is not any substitute for our revered justice system”, the senator stated.
He continued:
Those that rushed to judgment, you’ve finished so based mostly on a restricted set of details framed by the prosecution to be a salacious as doable. Bear in mind, prosecutors get it fallacious.
Menendez says he expects to be exonerated ‘when all of the details are introduced’
In his press convention, Democratic senator Robert Menendez stated he believes he’s harmless of the costs introduced in opposition to him by federal prosecutors for allegedly utilizing his place to assist the federal government of Egypt, and can keep within the Senate.
“Every thing I’ve completed, I’ve labored for regardless of the naysayers and everybody who has underestimated me. I acknowledge this would be the largest battle but, however as I’ve acknowledged all through this entire course of, I firmly imagine that when all of the details are introduced, not solely will I be exonerated, however I nonetheless will likely be New Jersey’s senior senator.”
