The two fugitive Ecuadorian bankers at the center of Sen. Robert Menendez's (D., N.J.) latest alleged FBI investigation have also contributed to other politicians, including Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.), Bill Nelson (D., Fla.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), the Daily Beast reports:
Florida Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, while she was chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to federal agencies on behalf of two Ecuadorian bankers convicted of embezzlement who were seeking U.S. residency. She also advocated for their family members, who donated over $20,000 to her campaign. […]
The congresswoman denied any quid pro quo and maintained there was nothing wrong regarding her work on behalf of the Isaias brothers. The congresswoman said her advocacy on the bankers’ behalf was simply a matter of routine constituent service. […]
In addition to Menendez and Ros-Lehtinen, Isaias family members also contributed to the campaigns of Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Congresswoman and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and Florida Rep. Joe Garcia, all Democrats.
The FBI probe is allegedly looking into whether Menendez traded political favors for campaign contributions from family members of the two brothers. William and Roberto Isaias, who were convicted of embezzlement in abstentia by Ecuador's autocratic government, have been living in Florida under threat of extradition from the Correa regime.
Menendez received contributions from Isaias family members and sent letters to federal officials on the brothers' behalf, but denies any wrongdoing.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who runs the Democratic National Committee and has worked to kill an Iran sanctions resolution in the House, received at least $7,500 from the Isaias family members in 2012, according to FEC records.