New Jersey

In Bob Menendez's hometown of Union City, little love for now-convicted senator • New Jersey Monitor

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2024

In Bob Menendez's hometown of Union City, little love for now-convicted senator • New Jersey Monitor

Residents of Union City struggled to beat the 100-degree heat on Tuesday afternoon. And across the Hudson River in a Manhattan courtroom, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the city’s former mayor, failed to beat the rap.

On the day Menendez was convicted on all 16 charges in his federal corruption trial, residents of this densely populated Hudson County town made it clear: He got what he deserved.

Jose Ovalles is a bodega worker who was walking down Bergenline Avenue in front of Cuban restaurant El Artesano soon after the jury in Menendez’s case announced its guilty verdict. Ovalles said the senator has lost the trust of his constituents.

“People around here don’t believe in him no more. And why not? Because of what he did,” he said. “There was all this love for him, and now it’s gone.”

The claims at the center of the Menendez case involved “shocking levels of corruption,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, told reporters Tuesday. Prosecutors said Menendez accepted gold bars, cash, and other items as bribes from three businessmen and, in return, did favors for Egypt and Qatar and interfered in two criminal cases to help friends and associates.

The two men he was tried alongside, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, were also convicted on all counts.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to the media as he exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024 in New York City following his conviction on all counts in his corruption trial. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

Menendez’s road to becoming a convicted felon deviates far from his promising start. The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez was elected to Union City’s school board at the age of 20 and soon became an aide to the city’s then-mayor, William Musto. Musto was a father figure and mentor to Menendez until Menendez testified for prosecutors at Musto’s 1982 racketeering trial.

After Musto was convicted and sent to prison, Menendez rose. He became Union City’s mayor in 1986 and was later elected to the state Assembly and state Senate. Voters sent him to D.C. in 1992 to represent parts of Hudson County in the House, and in 2006, he became a U.S. senator.

Even as his stature grew and he moved to other parts of the state, Menendez remained a commanding presence in Union City. But on Tuesday, residents here seemed to be shaking the senator off like a bad habit.

“Menendez kept saying, ‘They’re coming after me because I’m Latino.’ No, it was him,” said Kimberly Perez, 17, a Union City student. “He shouldn’t have done what he was doing in the first place. He better pay for what he did, and in return, maybe he’ll start doing the right thing and get forgiveness.”

Outside La Rica deli and grocery store at the corner of 45th Street and Hudson Avenue, just a block away from the apartment building where Menendez grew up, other residents were less charitable.

“You put these people in power to help you, right? To help do stuff for the state of New Jersey, right? Well, they might do some, but then they do other stuff,” said Omar Roberts, 58, a housekeeper originally from Venezuela. “We have problems with corruption in South America, too. In terms of America’s image to the world, a guy like Menendez got so high up, but then he got caught. That’s a fact, and it’s better for everybody that he got caught.”

Outside of City Hall, the scene of many of Menendez’s previous triumphs, Deandre Lamar, 49, a tile worker and union member, said the verdict did not surprise him.

“It’s Jersey politics, for sure. It always seems weird how people have all these connections and how much things go down,” Lamar said. “A senator is supposed to serve the people, and you’re taking bribes? This is not right. So, Menendez got away with it for a long time. Until he didn’t.”

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New Jersey

Booker says he'll lead Menendez expulsion effort – New Jersey Globe

Published

9 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Press Room

Booker says he'll lead Menendez expulsion effort – New Jersey Globe

If Bob Menendez rejects calls for his resignation, Cory Booker will head up a move to expel him from the United States Senate.

“He must stand up now and leave the Senate. He must do that. And if he refuses to do that, I will lead that effort to make sure that he’s removed from the Senate,” Booker said in an interview on MSNBC last night. “It is the just thing to do.”

A jury on Tuesday convicted Menendez of sixteen counts of bribery, conspiracy, extortion, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, conspiracy, and acting as a foreign agent.

“This is reprehensible behavior that he’s been convicted of…doing things for foreign governments that should chill a lot of folks for what he’s been convicted of,” Booker said of his New Jersey colleague. “This is enough. He should step down. He needs to step down right now.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called or Menendez’s resignation – something he had not previously done – but not for his expulsion.

But two Democratic senators facing tough re-election fights this year, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, said they would back a move to expel Menendez from the Senate. Both had called for his resignation after he was indicted last fall.

“Public service is a sacred trust and Senator Menendez has broken that trust,” Casey said on social media. “Now that a jury of his peers has found him guilty on all 16 charges, including acting as a foreign agent, Senator Menendez should resign or face expulsion from the Senate.”

The Senate doesn’t take the expulsion route easily; 14 of the 15 senators expelled since 1789 were tossed for backing the confederacy; no senator has been expelled since 1862.

Expulsion required a two-thirds vote.

Another senator from New Jersey was almost expelled in 1982.

Harrison A. Williams, Jr., was convicted on federal bribery and conspiracy charges related to the ABSCAM scandal in 1981 and remained in the Senate for more than ten months, resigning just as his colleagues were on the verge of expelling him.

Bill Bradley, the other senator from New Jersey, stood by Williams and refused to call for his resignation following his conviction.

At the end of the fifth day of the Senate expulsion trial, Bradley announced that he would vote to expel Williams. The loss of Bradley tipped the scales; with a vote near and without the support to avoid being expelled, Williams, for the first time, hinted that resignation was an option. He resigned the following day.

Like Williams, Menendez continued to maintain his innocence, predicting he will be successful in appealing Tuesday’s jury verdict.

“I have never violated my public oath,” Menendez said following his conviction.

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New Jersey

Forest fire breaks out at major military gunnery range in New Jersey

Published

17 hours ago

July 16, 2024

Press Room

BARNEGAT, N.J. — A fast-moving forest fire broke out Tuesday at a major military gunnery range in southern New Jersey, but no injuries or property damage has been reported.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded around 2:15 p.m. to the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range in Ocean County, where weapons testing had been scheduled for late Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if the testing had taken place and, if it did, played a role in the fire.

The blaze had burned roughly 150 acres (61 hectares) by late Tuesday afternoon, and the fire service said crews were burning brush ahead of the blaze to prevent its spread. No further details were available.

The range covers 9,400 acres (3,804 hectares) and 60 miles (97 kilometers) of airspace, according to the New Jersey National Guard. It’s used for a variety of military exercises, including weapons delivery practice for helicopters and other aircraft teams, laser training, and gunnery and munitions drills.

The range, which is secluded from roads by dense forests, is about 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of Joint Base Maguire-Dix, one of the largest military facilities irn New Jersey. It also was the scene of a 2007 fire that burned 17,000 acres (6,880 hectares) and led to the evacuation of thousands of residents. That fire, which was touched off when a pilot dropped a flare into the range during a training exercise, destroyed four homes and damaged about 50 others.

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New Jersey

Trees, Powerlines Could Come Down In Latest Round Of NJ Storms

Published

24 hours ago

July 16, 2024

Press Room

Trees, Powerlines Could Come Down In Latest Round Of NJ Storms

NEW JERSEY — Strong winds that could knock down trees and powerlines, heavy rain, hail and lightning strikes are in store for the Garden State Tuesday and Wednesday amid potential record-breaking heat.

Most of the state is under the “slight risk” for severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Storms are expected between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the forecast said.

Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Forecasters say that “damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, and frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes can be expected. Hail is also possible.”

They’ll taper off by midnight for a hot and humid night, according to the forecast.

Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Prepare for a second day of eventful weather Wednesday,” the National Weather Service said, with most of the state again under a “slight risk” for severe weather.

“Wind and heavy rains appear the main threats with a smaller threat for large hail,” for Wednesday’s storms, the National Weather Service said. The timeline for this is between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.

After that, though, we might finally see some relief in New Jersey. But it’s too soon to tell exactly when.

“It may take an extra day [Thursday] for showers and thunderstorms to depart coastal areas of New England and the mid-Atlantic, as the front’s forward speed may slow down,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. “This may delay the humidity drop until Thursday evening for these same areas.”

Here’s the latest forecast.

North Jersey

Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 101. Southwest wind 6 to 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 100. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11am, then a slight chance of showers between 11am and 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69.

Central Jersey

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 109. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 105. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.

South Jersey

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 109. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A slight chance of showers between 8am and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 105. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 8pm and 2am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.

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