“The View” co-host Ana Navarro claimed Friday that Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez’s legal troubles were his wife’s fault, saying the indictment “does not jive” with the man she knows.
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging Menendez on three bribery-related counts in September, then added a dozen additional charges in a March 5 superseding indictment. Navarro defended Menendez, citing multiple issues the two of them worked together on before claiming that lobbying regulations need to be changed. (RELATED: Bob Menendez Makes Major Announcement About 2024 Campaign)
“I’ve known Bob Menendez for almost 30 years and worked with him on countless issues: Cuba, Nicaragua, immigration, Central American free trade,” Navarro said. “This Menendez that I read about here just does not jive, does not square away with the man I’ve known for all of this time. It’s hard for me to understand all of these facts. I went to him with 100 issues with very rich clients, he never ever did anything like this.”
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“I don’t excuse him, I don’t justify, because Bob is one of the smartest people in Congress,” Navarro added. “It is a low bar but he really is one of the smartest people I’ve worked with in Congress. I think there needs to be more regulation of family members lobbying, because it’s not just Bob Menendez’s wife, it’s siblings, it’s spouses, it’s all of this thing, and they do have an advantage that other people don’t have and a lot of lobbying firms have them on the firm and they don’t even work. They don’t even show up.”
Menendez and his wife allegedly received cash and gold bars from three New Jersey businessmen in return for aiding the Egyptian and Qatari governments, according to the indictment. Menendez’s wife also allegedly received a new Mercedes-Benz automobile after the senator tried to interfere with a criminal probe in New Jersey, according to the indictment.
Menendez announced he would step down “temporarily” as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee in the wake of the indictment. The senator faced trial in 2017 over corruption allegations that ended with a hung jury.
He further announced that he would not be running for re-election as a Democrat, but added that he was “hopeful” for a potential bid as an Independent candidate.
“This case to me feels different than the first case, and I did tell you the first time I read about this case, I think this woman – I think Bob was completely smitten and enamored, a lone wolf for a long time,” Navarro said.
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