Justice Department prosecutors rested their case against Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday, much to the silence of the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). With dozens of charges against him, prosecutors allege Menendez and his associate Dr. Salomon Melgen were responsible for an expansive quid-pro-quo scheme that spanned years. The case had all the hallmarks of a spicy courtroom drama, but the networks were more interested in covering for the Democrat. The sepulchral silence extended to Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo, too.
“After six weeks of trial and 35 witnesses, the prosecution rested today in the bribery trial of New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez,” reported Anchor Bret Baier during Fox News Channel’s Special Report.
Baier was one of the few who reported the news on Wednesday and he added that “following the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, defense attorneys made a motion for acquittal, citing the 2016 Supreme Court decision that overturned the bribery conviction of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The judge has yet to decide on that. Court resumes Monday.”
Since the beginning, the Big Three showed little to no interest in documenting the alleged corruption of the Democratic Senator. Neither ABC nor NBC ever mentioned that Menendez had been the subject of the federal corruption trial.
On the first day of trial, the judge had to tell Menendez’s attorney to “shut up for a moment if you don't mind” in a testy exchange. And despite the fact that the defense accused the judge of “disparaging” the defendant, the networks could barely be bothered to mention it. CBS was the only one to mention that the trial even started, but they quickly moved on.
Even when the prosecution dropped the bombshell accusation that Menendez had tried to meddle in foreign affairs by interjecting himself between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, the networks were mute. “The prosecution alleges Senator Menendez trying [sic] to get the Dominican Republic government to use Melgen’s port security equipment and to reject a U.S. donation of screening equipment in the process,” Fox News Channel reported in late September.
Menendez insisted that he was innocent of all the charges against him. As he made his way to court on Wednesday, he claimed: “It's a story of a lifetime of service done honorably, hard work and sacrifice and a commitment to the people of New Jersey and a longtime friendship with Dr. Melgen."
And he has refused to say if he planned to resign if he was convicted. In a statement to CNN, he told the news outlet he had “no intention of being anything but exonerated, so, therefore, I'm not contemplating anything but reelection next year.”
The New Jersey Senator may have had no intention to resign, but the Big Three Networks clearly had no intention of ever seriously digging into the story of a potentially corrupt Democrat.
Transcript below:
Fox News Channel
Special Report
October 11, 2017
6:39:13 PM EasternBRET BAIER: After six weeks of trial and 35 witnesses, the prosecution rested today in the bribery trial of New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. Following the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, defense attorneys made a motion for acquittal, citing the 2016 Supreme Court decision that overturned the bribery conviction of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The judge has yet to decide on that. Court resumes Monday.
