Is it just me or does it seem like friends of Senator Menendez have a tough time keeping their hands clean lately . . .
Today Joseph Bigica, an insurance broker based in Franklin Lakes, NJ plead guilty to allegations of both campaign finance fraud and tax evasion.
According to NJ.com, Bigica made illegal campaign contributions to a federal campaign committee totaling near $100,000. While the campaign committee was not officially named, records seem to indicate that the Menendez campaign for US Senate was the beneficiary. The campaign essentially admitted as much.
As a victim of the accused, the Menendez campaign has assisted authorities in pursuit of this case, and now that charges have been filed and a plea entered, Senator Menendez deems it appropriate to take contributions from the accused and donate them to two causes he holds dear: the Alzheimers Association (Greater New Jersey Chapter) and Autism Speaks
While I commend the Senator for donating the cash to two good causes, playing the victim here is pretty pathetic sounding. No one, including me, is saying that the Menendez campaign did anything illegal here, but a simple statement of regret and maybe a pledge to give greater scrutiny to where their money comes from in the future would have been far more respectable and becoming of a sitting US Senator.
According to US Attorney Fishman,
By putting assets and political contributions in the names of others, Bigica spent millions on a luxury lifestyle and illegally funneled nearly $100,000 to a federal campaign while claiming he didn’t have the money to pay his taxes
Note to all aspiring be pay-to-play violators out there. It is really difficult to justify huge campaign contributions when the IRS knows you aren’t paying your income taxes. Especially $2 million worth!
Bigica plead guilty to both charges and is likely to face up to five years in prison. He will also hopefully serve as an example to those who make a habit of skirting campaign finance laws, an infraction that goes undetected far too often in New Jersey.
For a minute I thought this was going to be about Corzine ….
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