Congressman speculates Cuba may be behind Menendez scandal

NJNews

By Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (right) with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Miss Colombia N.J. Jacquelyne Herrera during the Cuban Day Parade in North Hudson County on Sunday, June 3, 2012.

TRENTON — U.S. Rep. Albio Sires today defended Sen. Robert Menendez and presented an unusual theory why the senator finds himself battling lurid accusations.

"I won't even be surprised if somehow the Cuban government is involved in this to try to damage Bob Menendez because he's been so steadfast against the Castro government. He's been a critic all his political life," Sires said in a phone interview. "I would not be surprised if they are behind some of this stuff, some of these allegations. The Dominican Republic has a lot of relationships with Cuba."

Sires, who like Menendez (D-N.J). is Cuban-American, succeeded him in the House when Menendez was elevated to the Senate.

Menendez has denied anonymous allegations that he had trysts with prostitutes, some of them underage, at a Dominican Republic condo owned by wealthy eye doctor and campaign donor Salomon Melgen. But Menendez’s office has said the senator reimbursed Melgen $58,500 for two round trip flights on his private jet on January 4 of this year—more than two years after the trips, and without disclosing them.

In a statement issued after the phone interview, Sires defended Menendez but left out the alleged Cuban connection.

"These attacks on the Senator were first delivered before the Senators re-election this past November. I believe the attacks were an attempt to block the Senator from becoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This is a very powerful post in Washington," he said.