AP/Julio Cortez
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey).
Menendez, one of the most prominent Democratic foreign policy hawks in Congress, has repeatedly questioned the Obama administration's attempt to get Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions in exchange for rolling back sanctions.
The senator has denied any wrongdoing and the reported charges don't have anything to do with Iran. They involve Menendez's relationship with a friend and donor. But for some observers, the timing feels like no coincidence. Menendez is the lead Democratic sponsor of legislation designed to rein in Obama's ability to strike a deal with Iran without consulting the Senate. And the deadline for the negotiations is March 24 - just a couple weeks away.
At the top of The Drudge Report, a prominent conservative news site, one headline noted Menendez is the "Top Critic of Obama Iran Deal." Another headline recalled the January Senate hearing where Menendez claimed the White House's talking points sound like they come "straight out of Tehran."
The political writer Michael Goldfarb wrote on Twitter that he was skeptical of the timing of the reported charges:
They charge Menendez two weeks before the Iran deal is announced? I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
- Michael Goldfarb (@thegoldfarb) March 6, 2015Menendez prob is guilty-but they held it over him to keep him in line, and dropped the charges just before the deal…real abuse of power.
- Michael Goldfarb (@thegoldfarb) March 6, 2015Menendez was never going to save us from a bad Iran deal. And he seems more corrupt than the average Senator. But this looks like politics .
- Michael Goldfarb (@thegoldfarb) March 6, 2015Amazing timing, that DOJ nails Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., right after he becomes the loudest critic of Obama's Iran deal.
- jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) March 6, 2015Shoulda backed the Iran deal http://t.co/ZsBcIBGnET
- Allahpundit (@allahpundit) March 6, 2015To stop Congress from reining in Obama admin over #Iran they file corruption charges against leading Democrat opposition voice Sen Menendez.
- Matthew RJ Brodsky (@RJBrodsky) March 6, 2015How convenient? Just as Menendez has been critical of #Iran nuke deal & vocal in support of #Israel, #ValJar strikes.http://t.co/bgFWb8EtSY
- Tony Pirkl (@tpirkl) March 6, 2015Now that he's the top Democratic critic of the WH on Iran RT @dcexaminer Fed corruption charges for Sen. Menendez. http://t.co/hvKsELsf12
- Charles Hoskinson (@cehoskinson) March 6, 2015FLASHBACK: Menendez: Obama's Iran Talking Points 'Straight Out of Tehran' … http://t.co/xPhm72BLXj
- The Weekly Standard (@weeklystandard) March 6, 2015Am I the only one suspicious of the DOJ's decision to go after Dem NJ Sen. Menendez, the biggest Dem critic of the admin's Iran deal #hmmmm
- Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) March 6, 2015If WH gets rid of Menendez, they get rid of biggest Democrat obstacle to lifting US Cuba embargo & Iran nuke deal. Just sayin...
- Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) March 6, 2015
January Menendez: "Obama's Iran Talking Points 'Straight Out of Tehran'" March Menendez: Charged with corruption. #justsaying
- Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) March 6, 2015