While US Senator Bob Menendez's (D-NJ) indictment has only been the fifth most notable criminal indictment in recent news (Trump), the fallout from the bribery accusations has been catastrophic for those in his orbit. However, US Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) may have to answer for taking money from the embattled Senator.
Sen. Menendez was indicted on federal bribery charges for the second time in a decade. He’s been accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, even in the form of gold bars, in exchange for his political influence. Since the news broke, members of his own party have called for his resignation.
Democrats like US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have called for his resignation, likely in an attempt to seemingly hold the line on criminal indictments for politicians as the four simultaneous Trump indictments hang in the balance. Some Democrats however, have not been so outspoken, or forward in their condemnation of Menendez.
According to the FEC, Menendez's PAC called New Millennium, has made financial contributions to Congressman Soto's campaigns in Florida's 9th Congressional District since 2016 and as recently as 2018. The amount in donations totals to $9,000 on the nose. Now the NRCC is suggesting that Soto's inaction very loudly signals how the Florida congressman really feels about the indicted Senator.
NRCC spokeswoman Delaine Bomer said, "Why hasn’t Darren Soto spoken up or given back Senator Menendez’s crooked contributions? Soto’s silence speaks volumes."
Suggesting that Soto approves of the accused corruption of Menendez would be a stretch. However, giving back the monetary contributions would play very well alongside the nonpartisan rhetoric of his Democratic colleagues in Congress.
