DOJ To File Multiple Corruption Charges Against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Via USA Today:

The Justice Department is expected to bring criminal charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., involving his relationship with wealthy donor Salomon Melgen and accusations that the senator improperly advocated for the business interests of the Florida eye doctor in return for gifts, according to a person familiar with the matter. The charges are expected within the next few weeks, said the person who is not authorized to comment publicly. Menendez has previously denied wrongdoing. Asked Friday whether he authorized corruption charges against the New Jersey senator, Attorney General Eric Holder said: "I can't comment on that." CNN first reported the development Friday afternoon. News of a federal investigation first surfaced in 2013. In 2012, Melgen gave $700,000 to Democratic senators, including Menendez. Additionally, Menendez received free flights to the Dominican Republic in 2010. Menendez has been accused of assisting Melgen in a dispute the Florida ophthalmologist was engaged in with health care officials in the U.S. regarding Medicare payments, as well as urging Dominican Republic authorities to make good on a contract with a port security company of Melgen's.

Breitbart horcrux Matthew Boyle, whose 2013 claims about Menendez hiring Dominican prostitutes were thoroughly debunked, is taking credit.

Investment Banker: Vladimir Putin Has Stolen $200B, Is World's Richest Man

Via Business Insider:

Hedge fund manager Bill Browder, once the largest foreign investor in Russia, estimates Russian President Vladimir Putin's wealth at $200 billion — which would make him by far the richest man in the world. When asked to estimate his net worth by Fareed Zakaria of CNN, Browder said: "I believe that it is $200 billion. "After 14 years in power of Russia, and the amount of money that the country has made, and the amount of money that hasn't been spent on schools and roads and hospitals and so on — all that money is in property, Swiss bank accounts, shares, [and] hedge funds managed for Putin and his cronies." Bill Gates is considered the world's richest man with a net worth of $79 billion.

Browder claims Putin's stealing began the moment he became prime minister in 1999.

Alabama House Speaker Has The Sadz

"It is outrageous when a single unelected and unaccountable federal judge can overturn the will of millions of Alabamians who stand in firm support of the Sanctity of Marriage Act. The Legislature will encourage a vigorous appeals process, and we will continue defending the Christian conservative values that make Alabama a special place to live." - GOP Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, who was indicted on 23 felony corruption charges in late October. Hubbard has refused to resign in advance of his trial.

NEW YORK: Dem Assembly Speaker To Be Arrested On Corruption Charges

Federal authorities are expected to arrest Democratic New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today on charges of corruption.Via the New York Times:

The investigation that led to the expected charges against Mr. Silver, a Democrat from the Lower East Side of Manhattan who has served as speaker for more than two decades, began after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in March abruptly shut down an anticorruption commission he had created in 2013. Details of the specific charges to be brought against Mr. Silver were unclear on Wednesday night, but one of the people with knowledge of the matter said they stemmed from payments that Mr. Silver received from a small law firm that specializes in seeking reductions of New York City real estate taxes. The total amount of the payments was unclear, but another person has said they were substantial and were made over several years. Mr. Silver failed to list the payments from the firm, Goldberg & Iryami, on his annual financial disclosure filings with the state, as required.

Several New York outlets have observed that the billionaire condo owners in One57, one of Manhattan's latest supertalls, will likely reap a large property tax break due to Silver's intervention. Last week the 90th floor penthouse of One57 sold for a record-setting $100M.

RELATED:  Multiple Democratic members of the New York legislature have been arrested and convicted on various charges in recent years. In 2013 former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith was arrested by the FBI on charges that he tried to buy his way onto the New York City mayoral ballot. Also that year Sen. Pedro Espada was arrested on corruption charges that he blamed on having been molested by a man when he was a child. One month later Sen. John Sampson surrendered to the FBI on embezzlement charges. In 2012 Sen. Hiram Monserrate was convicted on campaign finance charges. Also that year Sen. Shirley Huntley was charged with funneling public money into a charity she operated. And in the case most-closely followed here on JMG, in 2011 closeted Sen. Carl Kruger pleaded guilty to charges that he and his gynecologist boyfriend had taken over $1M in bribes to fund fund an extravagant lifestyle which included a garish waterfront mansion, a luxury yacht, and a Bentley.

Robertson: Bob McDonnell Was Seduced By A Woman, Just Like Adam Was

One of Pat Robertson's "charities" had offered to employ McDonnell in lieu of a prison sentence.

McDonnell Gets Two Years In Prison

Former GOP Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison today after being convicted on eleven counts of corruption late last year.

United States District Court Judge James R. Spencer announced his ruling just shy of 3 pm local time early on Tuesday, four months and two days after a jury there found Mr McDonnell and his wife guilty of public corruption charges. The Twitter account for the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia confirmed the ruling shortly after. Going into court on Tuesday, McDonnell faced a maximum sentence of 12 years. Judge Spencer unexpectedly reduced the outcome range during the hearing, however, and said the governor would only face upwards of eight years behind bars since he did not obstruct justice or accept more than a certain amount of bribes.

More from USA Today:

Included among the nearly 1,000 pages of documents filed by McDonnell's legal team are 443 letters from family, friends and former colleagues urging the judge to give the former governor a lenient sentence. Each of McDonnell's five children — he has three daughters and twin sons — wrote letters on their father's behalf. Some children told the judge that their mother made bad decisions and solicited money and gifts behind their father's back and without his knowledge. McDonnell once was considered a possible running mate for 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. McDonnell delivered the 2010 Republican response to the State of the Union Address and became chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2011.

McDonnell's estranged wife, who shocked onlookers when she appeared in the courtroom for today's hearing, will be sentenced next month.

Pat Robertson Tries To Keep Former VA Gov. Bob McDonnell Out Of Prison

Via the Associated Press:

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell should perform community service rather than serve prison time for his federal corruption convictions, an international relief organization said Tuesday. Operation Blessing International said it offered McDonnell jobs heading its hunger relief program in Appalachia or working at its orphanage and fish farm in Haiti if U.S. District Judge James Spencer agrees to spare McDonnell prison time.

"As with his volunteering during Hurricane Katrina, Bob has shown an authentic willingness to serve others no matter how difficult the task," group president Bill Horan said in a statement. "We believe that we can leverage his energy and expertise to better serve those in need."

Operation Blessing spokesman Chris Roslan said the organization collaborated with defense attorneys ahead of Tuesday's deadline for lawyers to file sentencing recommendations. Virginia Beach-based Operation Blessing was founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. McDonnell is a graduate of Robertson's Regent University law school.

McDonnell is due for sentencing early next month. Operation Blessing, of course, has long been saddled with accusations of fraudulent practices.

Bondi Elected To Head GOP AGs Group

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has been elected chairperson of the Republican Association of Attorneys General. Via the Tampa Bay Times:

Bondi accepted the position while the group held its Fall national meeting at the ritzy Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. As Bondi has shown, this group likes luxury. Since taking office, she has accepted $25,000 in gifts to attend RAGA events. It might seem brazen for Bondi, 48, to become the group’s new chair. Media coverage in the last month has shown Bondi’s adopted the groups priorities, recited talking points and joined its members’ legal battles far beyond Florida. The New York Times reported that it’s at RAGA events like this weekend where Bondi has grown close to corporate lobbyists who have clients with cases pending in Florida. She even invited one lobbyist, Lori Kalani, to stay at her home while recuperating from surgery. Not only was an ethics complaint filed in response to the revelations about Bondi and RAGA, but editorial boards and columnists throughout Florida have called for investigations.

The Associated Press notes that the amount is actually $51,000 in meals, trips, and hotel rooms.

ARKANSAS: Fayetteville Chamber Of Commerce Calls For LGBT Rights Repeal

Back in August, the city council of Fayetteville, Arkansas voted 6-2 to approve a sweeping LGBT rights ordinance after a live-streamed ten-hour public debate that was hotly followed into the wee hours of the morning by many of you here. Four weeks later local haters had gathered enough petition signatures to force the issue onto a referendum that will be held next month.

Today the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce unanimously adopted a resolution calling for citizens to vote in favor of the repeal:

The Chamber will encourage its members and the public to “Vote for Repeal of Ordinance 5703 Chapter 119” on December 9, 2014 the date of the special referendum election on this ordinance. The Chamber submits to voters that it is never good public policy for any governmental entity to adopt rules, regulations, ordinances or laws that are vague, incomplete, fail to include critical definitions for prohibited acts or conduct that may be later be adjudged as criminal; base criminal prosecution on the basis of another’s “perception” of conduct, verbal or non verbal communication or attitude or that have not been completely and thoroughly debated and reviewed.

Here's the kicker:

Steve Clark, the former Arkansas attorney general driven from elective politics by his conviction for expense account fraud, is president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. His son-in-law, Juston Tennant, was one of two Fayetteville council members who opposed the non-discrimination ordinance. Tennant is expected to run for mayor in two years against Lioneld Jordan, a backer of the ordinance.

You may recall that before the vote took place, Mayor Lionel Jordan delivered a brilliant and impassioned speech in support of the ordinance.

Liberty University Fires Bob McDonnell

Even Liberty University has its limits.

Ex-Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has lost his teaching gig at Liberty University. The Christian college announced on Friday they had ditched the disgraced politician after he was convicted on multiple federal corruption charges. Liberty President Jerry Falwell had called the former governor “a longtime friend of the university” in April, when McDonnell was appointed a visiting professor in government. McDonnell and his estranged wife Maureen were found guilty of public corruption on September 4. A jury found the couple accepted gifts and loans from former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for using the governor’s office to promote his products. The McDonnells will be sentenced in January and could face 20 years in prison.

VIRGINIA: Former Gov. Bob McDonnell And Wife Found Guilty Of Corruption

Former Virginia GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife have been found guilty on multiple counts of corruption, bribery, and conspiracy.

After three days of deliberations, the seven men and five women who heard weeks of gripping testimony about the McDonnells’ alleged misdeeds acquitted the couple of several charges pending against them--but nevertheless found that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. in a nefarious exchange for his largesse. The verdict means that Robert McDonnell, who was already the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now he holds an even more unwanted distinction: the first ever to be convicted of one. He and his wife face decades in federal prison, though their actual sentence will probably fall well short of that. The former governor was convicted of 11 corruption-related counts pending against him, though acquitted of lying on loan documents. The former first lady was convicted of eight corruption-related charges, along with obstruction of justice. Maureen McDonnell was acquitted of lying on a loan document.

Background from CBS News: 

The McDonnells were indicted in January and charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the CEO of Star Scientific Inc., in exchange for promoting Williams' anti-inflammatory vitamin supplement called Anatabloc. The jury reached the verdict after three days of deliberations. During the five-week trial, prosecutors sought to prove that that Bob McDonnell not only knew how much money Williams had lavished on the first family, but that he sought to convince state officials to conduct research that would have helped Williams' business. The evidence prosecutors saw as most damaging was a pair of emails, sent six minutes part, in which Bob McDonnell wrote to Williams asking about documents that would have finalized a $50,000 loan, and then shortly after asked an aide to "see me about anatabloc issues" at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia.

Last week it was learned that McDonnell has left his wife and is now living with a Catholic priest who was once convicted for having sex with another man in the parking lot of a park. In one of his first acts after taking office, McDonnell stripped LGBT people from a statewide anti-discrimination executive order, declaring that there is no evidence of such discrimination.

VIRGINIA: Disgraced Former Gov. Bob McDonnell Is Now Living With Catholic Priest Busted For Public Gay Sex

Last week former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell revealed during his corruption trial that he has left his wife and is now living with a Catholic priest named Wayne Ball, seen above. Father Ball, as it turns out, was once busted for having gay sex in the parking lot of a park. Here's a story about the 2010 arrest:

The Rev. Wayne L. Ball, a Norfolk priest who pleaded guilty late last year to a misdemeanor sex offense, has been reassigned to St. John's Catholic Church in Highland Springs, according to The Catholic Virginian, a biweekly diocesan newspaper. The move is effective June 2. Ball, 42, has served as pastor of Norfolk's Holy Trinity Catholic Church since 2000. The current pastor at St. John's, the Rev. David V. McGuire, will replace Ball at Holy Trinity. In December, Ball pleaded guilty in Norfolk General District Court to the misdemeanor charge of frequenting a bawdy place. Norfolk police arrested Ball and a 41-year-old Richmond man on the night before Thanksgiving in a parked car in a Norfolk park. The judge continued Ball's case until July 8 and will dismiss the charge if the priest has no further criminal problems and completes 80 hours of community service by June 3. The man in the car with Ball received a similar deal.

McDonnell has testified that his marriage was a "sham" and therefore he could not have colluded with his wife in taking all those bribes. Shortly after he took office, McDonnell stripped LGBT people from a statewide anti-discrimination executive order, declaring that there is no evidence of such discrimination. (Tipped by JMG reader Smith)

Seen In Charlotte

Cannon, a Democrat, was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and charged with theft and bribery.

Charlotte Mayor Resigns Following Arrest

Democratic Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon today resigned after being handcuffed and perp-walked out of his office yesterday by the FBI.

Cannon submitted his resignation letter to city manager Ron Carlee and city attorney Bob Hagemann, Charlotte spokesman Keith Richardson said in an email. The 47-year-old Cannon is charged with bribery and public corruption. The Democrat took cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and the use of a luxury apartment as bribes and solicited more than $1 million more, according to a criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney's office. Cannon said in his resignation letter that the pending charges "will create too much of a distraction" for the business of the city to go forward. He said it was effective immediately. "I regret that I have to take this action, but I believe that it is in the best interest of the City for me to do so," he said.

RELATED: Wingnut shrieker site Twitchy just published an apology to the Associated Press after running a headline that denounced the AP for not mentioning Cannon's party affiliation. In fact, the AP noted that Cannon is a Democrat in its second paragraph. The apology is buried at the bottom of Twitchy's updated post.

Anti-Gay NYC Councilman Fernando Cabrera Investigated For Corruption

In the photo above you'll see NYC Councilman Fernando Cabrera (D-Bronx), who is besties with virulently anti-gay state Sen. Ruben Diaz, attending a June 2011 anti-gay marriage rally at City Hall where the red-caped Catholic loons marched in support. Cabrera has bigger things than homo marriage to worry about these days. Via New York Times:

Bronx residents stand to benefit from new jobs, education programs and even free skating under an ambitious plan to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory into a nine-rink ice center. But now a Bronx councilman is facing questions about whether he sought to benefit from the ice center, too. Councilman Fernando Cabrera has come under scrutiny in the past week after revelations that he demanded that the developer of the ice center, KNIC Partners, pay $100,000 a year for 99 years to a little-known organization, Community Action Unlimited. The organization, which lost its federal tax-exempt status in 2010, has been associated with Mr. Cabrera and his church, New Life Outreach International. Mr. Cabrera’s demand was first reported by The Norwood News. Mr. Cabrera also asked city officials to turn over the former Fordham Library Center to Community Action Unlimited, according to people familiar with the matter.

Lots more juicy details are at the link. (Tipped by JMG reader Duncan)

Prison For Jesse Jackson Jr.

Former US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for corruption regarding campaign donations. His wife was sentenced to one year.

The Jacksons will be allowed to serve their sentences one at a time, with Jackson Jr. going first, based on the wishes of the family as expressed by Dan Webb, an attorney for Sandi Jackson. Jackson Jr. will report to prison on or after Nov. 1, the judge said. In addition to the 2.5 years in prison, Jackson Jr. was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Sandi Jackson was ordered to serve 12 months of supervised release following her prison term.

The judge emphasized that Sandi Jackson was sentenced to exactly 12 months, not the year-and-a-day sentence that some criminals get. Defendants sentenced to a year or less cannot qualify for time off for good behavior in prison. But those sentenced to a year and a day can qualify, which means they may end up serving only about 10 months. Under this rule, Sandi Jackson must serve the full year. If Jackson Jr. earns time off for good behavior in prison, he would serve about 25.5 months.

The Jacksons were found guilty of using up to $750K in campaign donations for personal items such as travel and a $43K Rolex watch. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned from Congress in February after disappearing from public view for a prolonged time that his family said had been spent being treated for chronic depression.

Cuccinelli Vs McDonnell

Today's installment of GOP infighting comes out of Virginia, where anti-gay Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Ken Cuccinelli has demanded a special legislative session on political ethics, something that scandal-plagued and anti-gay Gov. Bob McDonnell (shockingly) does not want.

With McDonnell (R) embroiled in a gifts scandal, the Republican candidate to succeed him said Virginia cannot wait until the legislature reconvenes in January to tighten the state’s lax disclosure requirements. “Trust is something that is easy to lose and hard to recover,” Cuccinelli said in an interview with The Washington Post. “I think the longer we let this go, the more difficult it is for Virginians to achieve the level of faith in their government that I think they’re accustomed to. And I think that’s something we can achieve if we move quickly.” Cuccinelli’s chief deputy told the governor in a face-to-face meeting Monday that the attorney general would publicly urge him to call the special session. After the meeting, a spokesman for the governor said he sees no need for it. Cuccinelli’s move puts more space between the attorney general, who has been touched by the scandal, and the governor, who has been consumed by it.

Cuccinelli, who last month launched a website in support of his campaign to reinstate anti-sodomy laws, presently trails former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe by several points in polls for the governor's race.

RELATED: Speaking of ethics, there have been many calls for Cuccinelli to resign as other state attorneys general have historically done once they announced their candidacy for governor. He has refused even though he holds a large stock interest in a company currently suing the state over a tax dispute.  Cucinelli has a long and vile history of blocking LGBT rights in Virginia, including supporting a ban on gay adoptions. In 2011 he declared that God had personally placed him in office to fight President Obama.

Montreal Mayor Busted For Fraud

The interim mayor of Montreal, Michael Applebaum, was arrested today and charged with multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy.

Quebec police said the charges involve at least two Montreal real estate transactions from 2006 to 2011 and hundreds of thousands of dollars traded hands. "These allegations rest essentially on obtaining permission and political support on two real estate projects," said Capt. Andre Boulanger of the Surete du Quebec, the province's police force. He would not confirm or deny if the charges involve bribes or ties to gangsters and organized crime. Applebaum took over the mayor's job in November after Gerald Tremblay resigned amid corruption allegations. At the time, Applebaum vowed to "end an era of sleaze" at Montreal City Hall.

Former NY Sen. Pedro Espada: I Was Corrupt Because I Was Almost Molested

Former NY state Sen. Pedro Espada faces a possible 43 year prison sentence on corruption charges. His lawyer has filed a plea for leniency that includes a claim that Espada was almost molested by a man when he was a child. Via Gothamist:

In a 21-page court filing relating to personal hardships that could be factored in to a more lenient sentence, his lawyer wrote, "He was the second of six children born to his parents and enjoyed a happy childhood until the age of 5, when he was the victim of an attempted sexual assault by a male relative. Mr. Espada is haunted to this day by the terrible memory." Espada told the Post that he was upset that this "revelation" came out. It's unclear what connection this almost-molestation has to stealing almost half a million dollars from tax-payers, but that's up to a judge now. He's set to be sentenced on June 14th, though Espada's been seeking a new trial, accusing the judge of "improperly pressuring the jury to reach its verdict."

RELATED: In a failed bid to be named Majority Leader of an evenly split state Senate, in 2009 Espada attempted to stage a coup and temporarily joined the GOP, effectively preventing a vote on marriage equality at that time. He is just one of six recently former members of the New York Senate who are in or on their way to prison.

ANOTHER New York Senate Dem Busted

Ho hum. Another day, another busted Democrat from the New York Senate.

Brooklyn state Sen. John Sampson, once one of the most powerful politicians in Albany, surrendered to the FBI on Monday to face charges of embezzling funds from escrow accounts he controlled as a lawyer and using the money to finance an ill-fated run for district attorney. In their investigation, prosecutors recorded Sampson saying he would track down an informant implicating an associate and “take them out,” according to a 24-page indictment unsealed Monday.

RELATED: If convicted, Sampson could become the sixth Senate Democrat sentenced to prison in the last twelve months.  Former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith was arrested last month and is awaiting trial on charges that he conspired to fix the New York City mayoral race. Former Sen. Shirley Huntley pleaded guilty to corruption charges in March. Three other Senate Democrats were sentenced to prison late last year.