Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) contacted Justice Department officials in 2002 in an attempt to delay a corporate merger between two Hispanic media companies opposed by some of his top campaign donors, Bloomberg reported Monday:
Menendez and two House colleagues urged then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in September 2002 to postpone any decision "until a complete review of the merger can be done," according to the letter. It followed an identical letter sent to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell, which Bloomberg reported on here.
Menendez, then a U.S. representative, was aligned with Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. in objecting to a merger between Univision Communications Inc. and Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. At the time, Menendez owned from $1,000 to $15,000 in SBS stock.
The founder of Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), Raul Alarcon Sr., and his family have been major donors to Menendez.
Menendez also testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the proposed merger without disclosing his personal stake in SBS, as the Washington Free Beacon reported in February.
Both DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission approved the Univision-Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. merger in 2003.
The New Jersey Democrat has faced scrutiny this year over his attempts to advocate for the business interests of a South Florida donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen.
Menendez contacted federal health care officials twice over audits of Melgen's practice. He also pushed for the enforcement of a Dominican Republic port security contract worth up to $500 million over the next 20 years to a company owned by Melgen.