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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Elmwood Park man admits conspiring to steer illegal campaign contributions to Menendez
2013-01-31
[NORTHJERSEY] An Elmwood Park man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring with his brother to violate federal election law by steering $21,400 in illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.

Benedetto Bigica, 45, admitted that he worked with his brother, Joseph, of Franklin Lakes, from April 2005 to April 2008 to make the illegal contributions, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.

As part of the scheme, Benedetto Bigica, an owner and president of Open MRI and Imaging-Newark, agreed to serve as a straw contributor along with two other family members for Joseph Bigica, who then reimbursed them for their contributions to the campaign.

The Federal Election Campaign Act limits the amount of contributions from individuals to federal candidates and prohibits straw contributions -- contributions by one person in the name of another.

No one associated with the Menendez campaign has been accused of any wrongdoing, authorities said.
They had no idea. The $21,400 unfortunately has been spent. Ask 'Delores' in Santo Domingo...
A spokesman for Menendez has acknowledged that the senator was the unnamed federal official cited in court papers in the case but said Menendez was a victim of Joseph Bigica's.

"Senator Menendez's campaign, a victim of the fraud that ensued, cooperated fully with the investigation," Mike Soliman, Menendez's state director and former campaign manager, said Tuesday. Soliman said. "After the first guilty plea was entered, Sen. Menendez donated the campaign contributions in question to two charities: Autism Speaks and the Greater New Jersey Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
Posted by:Fred

#3  Is that why they took those trips down to the Dominican Republic together? or why the Senator recently repaid money owed that for some reason hadn't yet been paid?

There's alot more here than we know. I'm looking forward to it coming out.
Posted by: Charles   2013-01-31 18:24  

#2  Senator Menendez's campaign, a victim of the fraud that ensued...

He's a victim, I tells ya! A victim!!
Posted by: tu3031   2013-01-31 01:54  

#1  Sal, meet my brother Joey, we're in the medical X-ray and insurance business. Hehehehe, yea, who knew right?
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-01-31 01:51  

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