FBI probe of Menendez scandal leaves “huge mess” in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- The scandal involving U.S. senator Bob Menendez, despite fizzling out after allegations by the supposed prostitutes he had “orgies” with turned out to be scripted accusations, has left a “huge mess" in Dominican Republic, whose Catholic Cardinal called the reported “interrogation” by FBI agents, would be an unqualified intromission and abuse against the country.”

“If that is true, it’s about an unqualified abuse that the United States came here to investigate persons in the country, without the support and the presence of justice and of the Dominican people,” Lopez said.

Cesar Medina, Dominican ambassador in Spain, called the scandal’s aftermath a “huge mess with major impact on United States power circles,” and that the plot also seeks to tarnish a family of prominent attorneys, headed by Marino Vinicio (Vincho) Castillo, head of the Government’s Ethics Commission.

Medina noted that Menendez, who chairs the powerful U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for a "serious and thorough" State Department probe into the FBI’s alleged interrogation in the Dominican Republic, and affirmed that two senior National Police generals could be fired in the wake of the incident. “It’s an attempt to compromise the moral character with an interrogation conducted in an ??improper and illegal manner.”

“It’s also worth noting that Justice minister Francisco Domínguez isn’t part of that investigative commission. The explanation could be that Vincho Castillo makes him responsible for the plot against his family,” the diplomat said.

Medina adding that he FBI interrogated two domestic workers of the Casa de Campo villa of prominent eye doctor Salomon Melgen, a Menendez political contributor, centered on the Senator’s alleged “orgies” with underage prostitutes.