Conway: Case against Menendez is ‘stunning’

Kellyanne Conway on Thursday called the federal case against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) “stunning” and cast his corruption trial as one that could drastically affect Democrats’ clout in the Senate. 

“He’s in a federal courthouse because he’s a criminal defendant in a federal trial, and people should really go and look at the prosecutor’s case laid out this week,” the presidential counselor said on “Fox & Friends.” “It is just stunning, and it went on allegedly for many years.

“Look at it. We don’t have any Democrats talking about this,” she added. “It’s important for a lot of reasons. It’s important because he represents the Democratic Party.”

{mosads}

Menendez is set to go to trial next week on corruption and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege that the New Jersey Democrat took lavish gifts, vacations and campaign contributions from Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor, in exchange for Menendez using his office to lobby on Melgen’s behalf.

Melgen is a co-defendant in the case. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled a broad strategy for the trial in a briefing that listed a slew of witnesses and sought to discredit Menendez and Melgen’s defense as “conspiracy theories.”

Menendez and Melgen have denied the allegations and have argued that the gifts and benefits given to the senator were the result of a longstanding friendship. 

If Menendez is found guilty, he would not automatically be removed from the Senate, though he could choose to resign from office or his colleagues in the chamber could vote him out. 

If that were to happen before January, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican ally of President Trump, would be able to appoint a replacement — presumably a Republican — giving the GOP another vote in the Senate.