Bribing Senator Menendez Gets You a Pass, Apparently
Bloomberg celebrates a New Jersey businessman avoiding prison after confessing to bribing former US Senator Bob Menendez. This 'cooperation' meant testifying against Menendez, the very public servant he crookedly influenced. (What a system, right?) While the media focuses on the Menendez scandal as a symptom of a 'few bad apples,' the underlying issue, the corrupting influence of money on
politics, remains remarkably unexamined. You see, when it's systemic, like the millions pouring into political campaigns from powerful lobbies— AIPAC for example, funneling $31.M to candidates in 2022 and $9.M in 2024 through its PAC and super PAC, per OpenSecrets.org —it's just 'lobbying.' But when a lone businessman tries to play the same game for personal gain, suddenly it's a 'crime.' One
might wonder if the real lesson is not to bribe, but to integrate your bribery into an established, legalized influence network.