New Jersey
Menendez says claims against him involve 'neither official action nor breach of official duty' – New Jersey Monitor

Sen. Bob Menendez asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss charges that claim he accepted bribes in exchange for official favors to three North Jersey businessmen and two foreign nations, arguing many of the charges fail to meet a constitutional test that bars prosecutions for members of Congress over official actions.
In the new court filing, Menendez, a Democrat, argues prosecutors relied on certain actions the U.S. Constitution bars for prosecutorial use. He leans on a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision in McDonnell v. United States that sharply limited the scope of the federal bribery statute by narrowing the definition of “official act” to exclude meetings, event hosting, and calls to other public officials.
The senator faces a raft of corruption charges, including conspiracies to commit bribery, honest services fraud, and extortion under the color of official right. He is also accused of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt and Qatar, charges that are unprecedented for a sitting member of Congress.
In legal terms, this scheme has no quo.
– Sen. Menendez’s Jan. 10 motion to dismiss
Prosecutors allege Menendez received cash, gold bars, furniture, a Mercedes Benz, and payments to a consulting firm launched by Nadine Menendez — the senator’s wife and co-defendant — in exchange for his intercession in criminal prosecutions, military aid disbursements, and international negotiations, among other things.
In his motion to dismiss the case, the senator argues he could not face bribery charges over the alleged schemes because of the Constitution’s speech or debate clause.
“To be clear, no Member of Congress is above the law—Senator Menendez included. The government is free to prosecute a Member of Congress for agreeing to exchange legislative action for personal benefits, so long as it does not cast aspersions on (or reference) any legislative acts themselves,” the filing reads. “But here, the Indictment does not try to walk that line; it flouts it entirely.”
The filing says the actions that prosecutors allege Menendez took as part of the schemes — like calls to prosecutors or urgings that federal agencies intervene in negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia — also would not sustain a bribery prosecution because such unofficial actions would not meet the bar for a quid pro quo set by federal bribery law.
Menendez, who joined the U.S. Senate in 2006 and whose term ends next year, has said he will not resign. He has not announced a campaign for reelection yet, though four Democrats, including Rep. Andy Kim and First Lady Tammy Murphy, are seeking the Democratic nomination for his seat in June.
His trial is set to begin in May, just as voters are receiving mail-in ballots for June’s primary.
Among the allegations facing Menendez are claims that he sought to interfere in the state prosecution of a relative and associate of co-defendant Jose Uribe. In Wednesday’s motion, Menendez argues he cannot face bribery charges over this claim because, as a federal lawmaker, he has no official authority over state matters, and because he did not leverage the powers of his office — by stalling grant funds, for example — in his discussions with a senior state prosecutor overseeing the case.
“Ultimately, the New Jersey Scheme rests on activities that any private citizen could equally undertake,” the senator’s filing says. “That is a telling sign that it involves neither official action nor breach of official duty. In legal terms, this scheme has no quo.”
Prosecutors’ allegations regarding Menendez’s actions in relation to Egypt and Qatar are some of their most eye-popping. They say Menendez issued favorable statements about Qatar to help co-defendant Fred Daibes secure a development deal with a member of Qatar’s royal family, and that he shared sensitive but unclassified information with Egypt about staffing at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, another other claims.
In a speech on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, Menendez prosecutors in his case are attempting to criminalize “the normal engagement of members of Congress with a foreign government.” He made similar arguments in his Wednesday filing.
“It takes little imagination to see what winds the government is sowing,” the senator’s filing says. “Suppose a senator comes back from Israel and says he will support whatever aid Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu seeks. When he does so, is that at the ‘order’ or ‘request’ of a foreign power? Does it matter whether he would vote that way anyway? Is this really a question for a jury at trial?”
The filing says Menendez will unveil more details in future documents submitted to the court by Jan. 15.
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New Jersey
Drones banned in parts of New Jersey for one month unless issued permission

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a one-month ban on drone operations in certain areas of New Jersey, unless operators receive special permission from the government due to “special security reasons”.
This comes as dozens of night-time drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey and other states along the eastern coast of the US over the last several weeks.
The sightings have occurred in residential areas as well as near a military research and manufacturing facility, causing panic among local residents and sparking various conspiracy theories about their origins.
The FBI, Department of Homeland security, and other government agencies and officials have repeatedly said that there is no evidence of a threat to public safety.
On Wednesday, the FAA implemented temporary flight restrictions prohibiting drones that have not been authorized by the government in parts of New Jersey. The ban will remain in effect until 17 January and is in effect for areas including Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, North Brunswick, Metuchen, Evesham, Elizabeth, Jersey City and more.
The restrictions state that no unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are allowed to operate within one nautical mile of the specified airspace, including from the ground up to 400ft above ground level.
Pilots who do not comply with these restrictions may be intercepted, detained, and questioned by law enforcement or security personnel, according to the Notice to Air Mission statement.
The government may also use “deadly force” against the drones if they pose an “imminent security threat” it adds.
Since reports of drones started coming in, the FBI set up a hotline to address the drone sightings, and have said that they are looking into and investigating the reports.
Federal agencies also deployed advanced detection technology to the regions where the drones are being spotted as well as trained visual observers.
Of the over 5,000 reported sightings so far, about 100 required further investigation, the federal bureau said. A Department of Homeland Security official echoed previous statements from federal agencies, stating again this week that there is no evidence of a threat to public safety.
On Tuesday, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and Federal Aviation Administration issued a joint statement, stating that after examining “the technical data and tips from concerned citizens” they “assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones”.
The agencies noted there are over one million drones registered with the FAA in the US, and that thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones fly in the sky lawfully on any given day.
“We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast,” the statement reads.
The agencies also addressed concerns about drone sightings over military facilities, including restricted airspace, which have sparked local worries and stirred up conspiracy theories online.
“Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new” the agencies said. “DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate.”
“Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place,” they stated.
The agencies acknowledged community concerns about drone sightings and pledged to continue to support state and local authorities “with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement”.
They also urged Congress to enact counter-drone legislation that would “extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge”.
On Wednesday, the US Senate reportedly rejected a proposal to fast-track a bill, supported by Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, and others, that Schumer says would expand government authority to conduct drone detection among other things.
Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked the measure, Reuters reported, arguing it would give the government excessive surveillance power and that Congress should not rush into legislation.
This week, Joe Biden addressed public concerns regarding the increase in reports of sightings of drones and other aerial objects in the skies, stating that there was nothing alarming about the increased reports.
“Nothing nefarious apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” the president told reporters. “We’re following this closely, but so far, no sense of danger.”
John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, has also said that the drones are not a national security or public safety risk.
New Jersey
2 porch pirates caught twerking on doorbell camera in New Jersey

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New Jersey
New Jersey weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime

TRENTON (AP) — Should underage gambling no longer be a crime?
New Jersey lawmakers are considering changing the law to make gambling by people under the age of 21 no longer punishable under criminal law, making it subject to a fine.
It also would impose fines on anyone helping an underage person gamble in New Jersey.
The bill changes the penalties for underage gambling from that of a disorderly persons offense to a civil offense. Fines would be $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for any subsequent offenses.
The money would be used for prevention, education, and treatment programs for compulsive gambling, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.
Atlantic city waterline aerial
“The concern I had initially was about reducing the severity of the punishment,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican former mayor of Atlantic City. “But the fact that all the money will go to problem gambling treatment programs changed my mind.”
Figures on underage gambling cases were not immediately available Thursday. But numerous people involved in gambling treatment and recovery say a growing number of young people are becoming involved in gambling, particularly sports betting as the activity spreads around the country.
The bill was approved by an Assembly committee and now goes to the full Assembly for a vote. It must pass both houses of the Legislature before going to the desk of the state’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy.
The council said recently that it conditionally supports the bill but has concerns about it.
SEE ALSO: Hostile takeover of NJ police department is illegal, court rules
Caesars Atlantic City (Google Street View)
Luis Del Orbe, the council’s acting executive director, said he is glad it will provide funding for gambling treatment and education programs. But he said fines alone are not enough without mandating education about problem gambling. He asked that such a requirement be added to the bill.
“When a young person is ‘fined,’ who actually pays the fine?” he asked.
In a statement submitted to the Assembly panel, the council said, “More and more of New Jersey citizens need help due to the ongoing expansion of gambling opportunities, and it is anticipated that the demand will only continue to grow. There is also an urgent need for expanded education and awareness about the harms that can come of gambling, particularly with respect to youth.”
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21 top spots to take a first-time visitor to New Jersey
Someone from out-of-state, or maybe even out of the country, is visiting New Jersey for the first time. Where do you take them? After grabbing a bagel and before chowing down on a slice of Jersey pizza, be sure to treat your out-of-town guest to a day in the Garden State with some of these places in mind.
Gallery Credit: Jen Ursillo
NJ’s wealthiest ZIP codes in 2024
These are the 10 most expensive ZIP codes in New Jersey, based on the median sale prices of homes, according to PropertyShark.
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Celebrities who vowed to leave the United States after the election
Rumors are flying that Bruce Springsteen has vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. He didn’t say it.
But false promises of leaving the country if a celebrity didn’t get their way has been a real thing and not always said in jest.
Here’s a list of famous people who promised to leave the country if Trump were elected. I hope you didn’t bet money on them leaving since none did.
Gallery Credit: Jeff Deminski
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