Federal investigators met and interviewed Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid as they looked into his Democrat colleague Robert Menendez's role in helping Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen navigate a dispute his company had with the government,
Politico reported.
Sources told the website that Reid voluntarily acted as a witness in the case as Menendez turned to the party leader to intervene in what was described as a multimillion-dollar-billing dispute, Politico said.
Reid is under increased scrutiny over his connection and also under attack by some Republicans who say the Nevada lawmaker should quickly ask Menendez to step down from his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They also want Reid to return $10,000 that Menendez donated to Reid's re-election campaign.
Thus far, Menendez has declined to step aside.
Reid had met with Menendez and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services acting head Marilyn Tavenner in 2012 about the dispute. They also met with Kathleen Sebelius, who then led the Department of Health and Human Services.
Complicating the optics, Menendez was at the time making large donations to a super PAC headed by former aides of Reid, Politico noted.
Menendez is expected to be indicted within weeks and has set up a legal defense fund. He has denied wrongdoing in the case and has continued to be "defiant,"
the Daily Kos said.
Menendez said last week that he "always conducted myself appropriately and in accordance with the law,"
CNN said.
"And I am not going anywhere," the New Jersey Democrat told reporters.
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