On the day the 2015 indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., grew to become public, UnidosUS CEO Janet Murguía wasted no time defending him.
Hispanic People, she mentioned in an op-ed on HuffPost, “obtain each motive to present the senator the benefit of the doubt,” due to in his time in Congress he has been “our sigh, our champion,” Murguía mentioned then. (At the time, her organization glided by the name Nationwide Council of La Raza.) Others tweeted give a take to and hashtags of #IStandWithBob.
But Murguía and a host of Latinos in the Washington sphere obtain but to contrivance serve to Menendez’s protection for the reason that allegations he authorised bribes were revealed Friday.
“The silence is deafening,” mentioned a longtime Democratic operative, who, love a host of political aides and consultants who work with Latino lawmakers, spoke on condition of anonymity in uncover no longer to endanger their relationships with Menendez.
Lots of mentioned the ghastly allegations of accepting bribes and proof of money stuffed in attire and gold bars stashed at his house included in Friday’s indictment fabricate it necessary harder for Menendez’s Latino colleagues to overtly defend him any other time.
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Menendez used to be indicted on federal corruption charges. In response to the indictment, he and his necessary other, Nadine, authorised bribes in alternate for his affect on behalf of three Unusual Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian authorities. Federal officers mentioned most likely the most most cash, gold and a host of items, collectively with a luxurious vehicle, were stumbled on at Menendez’s house after they searched it in summer season 2022.
Menendez and his necessary other obtain each denied wrongdoing. At a news conference Monday, Menendez mentioned he firmly believed he could be exonerated and possess his Senate seat. “Prosecutors obtain it tainted each so repeatedly,” he mentioned. Menendez did no longer acknowledge to a interrogate for observation.
Menendez’s importance to advancing Latinos and their illustration in American society used to be made starkly sure no longer too lengthy ago when the Senate confirmed Adriana Kugler to be a Federal Reserve governor. She is the principle Latina to affix the Fed Board in its 109-year history, and Menendez used to be key in combating to obtain her nominated and confirmed.
He used to be serious to the quarter-century fight to keep a Latino museum as portion of the Smithsonian museums. He has been an ardent imply for immigrants and others in inclined communities, whom he speaks up for from the Senate floor with eloquence and fervour. He known as on President Joe Biden final week to use executive powers to initiate extra right pathways for folks to contrivance serve to the U.S.
Alternatively, photos issued by the Justice Department of bundles of money atop a jacket with the phrases “Congressional Hispanic Caucus” caused some to groan and left his colleagues “in a predicament,” a inclined Democratic strategist mentioned. “How attain you watched the CHC feels about that?” the strategist mentioned. “Your affiliation with Congressional Hispanic Caucus is now entrance and center of this inform.”
“We obtain so many complications which could be so pressing. We obtain nominations, some of us which could be ready on their vote to obtain confirmed,” the strategist mentioned. “There is all styles of collateral harm that is immeasurable.”
The caucus, all of whose contributors are Democrats, had no longer issued any observation by Tuesday and did no longer acknowledge on to messages asking for observation.
The sadness and disbelief among Latinos who obtain considered Menendez’s work on behalf of Hispanics or how he has helped initiate doors for them are palpable, one other Democratic strategist mentioned.
“Of us invent no longer realize he is love our Charles Xavier,” the strategist mentioned, regarding the Wonder Comics X-Males persona. “He’s a man who has been around for the reason that very foundation of popular Latino political id. He’s a foundational figure.”
“Bob Menendez [understands] strength and programs to wield it but additionally is no longer any longer somebody alarmed to throw his weight around on issues he is believed in. He did hurry to the mat and fight the fight, and it be very sad,” the strategist mentioned.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., did no longer shut ranks around Menendez. She known as for his resignation Sunday on CBS Files’ “Face the Nation.”
“Consistency matters,” she mentioned. “It shouldn’t topic whether or no longer it’s a Republican or a Democrat. The particulars on this indictment are extraordinarily serious. They involve the nature of no longer right his but all of our seats in Congress.”
Menendez blasted these “rushing to settle on a Latino and push him out of his seat.” That has offended some Latinos, who agree there are differences when it comes to the justice procedure but obtain a tricky time dismissing his indictment as bias thanks to the compelling particulars in it.
“There is an scent of shame due to he is the utilization of the Latino protection,” even handed one of many strategists mentioned. “He has previously. In the end of his final engagement with the feds, even handed one of his statements used to be along the traces of ‘they are able to’t stand to see a Latino or Cuban from Unusual Jersey fabricate it.'”
There also used to be mixed response to his rationalization at his news conference that he saved cash from his financial savings story stashed at house “thanks to the history of my family coping with confiscation in Cuba.” Menendez used to be born in the U.S.; his of us immigrated from Cuba in the Fifties for the period of the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista, sooner than Fidel Castro’s communist takeover.
Some inquire that protection given Menendez’s living as a senior authorities official and a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
Damaged-down Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., an analyst for MSNBC, mentioned it is lawful that many households possess their resources shut, though he does no longer. Curbelo used to be no longer willing to sentence Menendez, keeping he is innocent unless confirmed responsible.
“It’s miles a scandalous inform. There’s no denying that. But at the cease of the day, these are allegations, and the authorities will wish to display in court docket that particular prison guidelines were damaged by him in my thought and want to picture how they were damaged. Within the past they failed to attain so,” Curbelo mentioned, regarding the hung jury in the trial in Menendez’s 2015 indictment.
A Democratic congressional aide mentioned, “Hundreds of of us don’t purchase it.”
On the a host of hand, some Latino supporters urged a connection between the indictment and Menendez’s distinguished-line policy towards Cuba.
Mario Pentón, the host of a Spanish-language AM radio picture and a journalist on AméricaTeVé, mentioned in a put up on X, previously Twitter, that Menendez has been a “retaining wall” towards “these hunting for a thaw” in relatives with Cuba.
“Or no longer it is fully odd that the 2 times that a thaw in relatives with the Cuba regime has been tried and the figure of @SenatorMenendez is in the trend, these accusations contrivance out,” he wrote in Spanish.
“The Castro dictatorship is celebrating,” he wrote.
Suzanne Gamboa
Suzanne Gamboa is a nationwide reporter for NBC Latino and NBCNews.com