PRICEY SCANDAL

Menendez Set up Legal Defense Fund

To pay for cost of ethics investigation.

Sen. Robert Menendez has set up a legal defense fund to help him cover the cost of the investigations being carried out against him by the Justice Department and Senate ethics committee. He’s also paid a Washington law firm $250,000 and $11,250 to Miami donor Dr. Salomon Melgen for flights on his private plane, according to documents released Friday. Speculation about the New Jersey senator's ethics was sparked by a number of flights aboard Melgen’s private plane—which were initially not reported or paid for—and favors done on behalf of Melgen involving federal officials. “Over the past year, we’ve incurred significant expenses to respond to the smear campaign that was launched by right-wing operatives,” said spokeswoman Trisha Enright regarding the recently disclosed payments.