Federal Prosecutors Drop Case Against Menendez

Federal prosecutors have decided against retrying Sen. Bob Menendez on corruption charges, lifting the legal cloud that has been hanging over the New Jersey Democrat for the past four years.

Menendez, 64, was charged with trading his political influence for gifts and campaign donations from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen, 63. Both had denied the charges.

The first trial ended in a hung jury last November. Prosecutors then restarted the case earlier this month, but the attempt stumbled when a judge threw out seven of the 18 counts against the two men last week. On Wednesday, the Justice Department filed a motion with the court to throw out the case entirely. 

The charges thrown out last week—by the same judge who had overseen the jury trial last fall—involved bribery counts related to Melgen's campaign donations. Those charges involved the heart of the prosecutions's case, enabling lawyers to create a timeline between donations and gifts with the favors Menendez did for Melgen. But he left in tact other charges related to the free flights on his jet and lavish vacations.

“From the very beginning, I never wavered in my innocence and my belief that justice would prevail," Menendez said in a statement. "I am grateful that the Department of Justice has taken the time to reevaluate its case and come to the appropriate conclusion."