Arent Fox Partner Peter Zeidenberg Quoted by Politico about Justice Department’s Case against Sen. Robert Menendez
Arent Fox White Collar & Investigations partner Peter R. Zeidenberg was quoted by Politico in an article about the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) case against Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).
In particular, it focuses on allegations that Sen. Menendez accepted gifts and campaign contributions from a Florida-based eye surgeon in exchange for several political favors.
The article stated that “While the indictment portrays a criminal arrangement between a powerful senator and a wealthy donor, the case will likely boil down to whether prosecutors can convince a jury that all of the exchanges weren’t part of a normal friendship.”
Mr. Zeidenberg, who is a former federal prosecutor, observed that that DOJ’s case against Sen. Menendez is even stronger than the case it had against former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell, who was convicted in September 2014 on 11 counts of federal corruption.
The article further elaborated that Sen. Menendez’s defense team is basing its case that the gifts offered to the senator by the surgeon were given as a gesture of friendship, as opposed to a request for favors. Mr. Zeidenberg, however, explained that this defense tactic may not go over well with in court. “I don’t think a jury is going to like this conduct,” he said, adding “I think they’re going to be offended by it.”
To read the Politico article, click here.
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