Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Under Investigation by: The Senate Ethics Committee.

Under Investigation for: Sen. Menendez is under investigation for accepting gifts from a donor who flew him to the Dominican Republic on a private jet. Sen. Menendez acknowledged taking two flights from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen and failed to declare the flights as gifts on his personal financial disclosure forms. In January 2013, more than two years after taking the trips and after questions were raised publicly about them, Sen. Menendez paid for them with a personal check of $58,500. Dan O’Brien, the senator’s chief of staff, said the delay in paying for the trips was “an oversight,” and characterized it as “sloppy.” In March 2013, the Washington Post reported that a federal grand jury in Miami was investigating Sen. Menedez and examining his role in advocating for the business interests of Dr. Melgen.

Status: The status of the Senate Ethics Committee investigation is unknown.