The Florida ophthalmologist caught in the middle of Sen. Robert Menendez’s prostitute scandal is also one of the largest donors to the Super PAC supporting Senate Democrats.
Salomon Melgen founded the Melgen Vitreo Retinal Eye Center in Florida, formerly known as Vitreo Retinal Consultants Eye Center. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Melgen’s Vitreo Retinal Consultants has contributed at least $700,000 to Majority PAC, a Super PAC dedicated to Democrat candidates for Senate and founded by a former aide to Sen. Harry Reid.
During this cycle, Melgen has also contributed at least $5,000 to Menendez and $10,000 to the New Jersey Democrat State Committee.
Melgen, however, has some serious problems with the Internal Revenue Service. In May 2011, the IRS filed a federal tax lien against Melgen for more than $11.1 million in unpaid taxes dating back to 2006. According to the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller website, the lien has not been released or withdrawn.
It appears that Melgen does not care for paying taxes in a timely manner.
In April 2008, the IRS filed a federal tax lien against Melgen for more than $6.2 million in unpaid taxes dating back to 1998. The lien was withdrawn in August 2011. In July 2002, the IRS filed a federal tax lien against Melgen for nearly $1.3 million in unpaid taxes dating back to 1999. The lien was released in November 2002.
Update (Nov. 2, 11:40 a.m.): A certified public accountant and licensed private investigator representing Salomon Melgen contacted the Washington Free Beacon this morning with the following statement, which we publish here in full:
Please be advised that the article as written concerning the fact pattern regarding the debt to IRS in not accurate, does not provide salient details, portrays a picture that borders on "Defamation of Character" and fails to report on the actual communications, agreements and issues caused and resolved by the IRS, as well as the initial and subsequent errors by the IRS that created the situation that gave rise to the filing of the liens.
José I. Marrero, Partner
MRW Consulting Group LLP