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Justice Department Moves to Dismiss Menendez Indictment

Senator Bob Menendez
Senator Bob Menendez / Getty Images
January 31, 2018

The Justice Department on Wednesday filed a motion to dismiss charges against Sen. Robert Menendez after a federal judge tossed out several charges against the New Jersey Democrat last week.

Annalou Tirol, acting head of the Justice Department's public integrity division, moved to dismiss the indictment following U.S. District Judge William Walls' decision to acquit Menendez and his co-defendant, Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen, on seven of the 18 counts they faced in their corruption and bribery trial last year, the Hill reported.

"In light of the Court's January 24, 2018 Opinion and Order and pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 48(a), the United States of America moves to dismiss the Superseding Indictment," Tirol wrote in the motion.

Walls' decision came days after the Justice Department said earlier this month that it intended to retry Menendez after Walls declared a mistrial in the corruption case in November.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Menedez carried out "official favors" for his friend and Democratic donor Melgen in exchange for private jet flights, vacations, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. The prosecutors argued that the senator began taking bribes from Melgen shortly after he entered the Senate in 2006.

The mistrial occurred after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision, saying they were unwilling to move away from their "strong convictions."