High-ranking Democratic senators gave campaign cash to Menendez after indictment

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A number of high-ranking Democratic senators combined to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to Sen. Robert Menendez's campaign committee this year, a review of Federal Election Commission records shows.

Menendez, D-N.J., who was indicted in April 2015, is currently facing 12 counts of corruption charges that include bribery. Prosecutors have said that the senator had a "corrupt pact" with Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor, a previous donor to Menendez's campaign.

Menendez himself has contributed to the campaigns of a number of top Democratic senators this year from his leadership PAC, the New Millennium PAC, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.

Some of these Democratic politicians used their own leadership PACs to donate to Menendez's campaign committee just days after Menendez had used his PAC to give to their campaigns, leaving their leadership PACs drained of identical amounts while increasing their respective campaign donations almost identically.

Menendez sent two checks totaling $10,000 on February 24 from the New Millennium PAC to Sen. Tim Kaine's (D., Va.) campaign committee. Kaine's leadership PAC, the Common Ground PAC, then sent two contributions totaling $10,000 on March 6 to Menendez's campaign for both the primary and general election, records show.

Menendez then sent $5,000 from his PAC to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D., Mass.) campaign on March 9. On March 22, Warren's leadership PAC, PAC for a Level Playing Field, gave $5,000 to Menendez's campaign. Warren sent an additional $5,000 to Menendez's campaign on March 31.

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