Union City doctor alleges Menendez shakedown
October 26, 2006  Jersey Journal
 
Less than two weeks before the election, Union City psychiatrist Oscar Sandoval yesterday filed court papers accusing U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of shaking him down for political contributions and jobs for others in exchange for "protection" of the doctor's county contracts.

The accusations were included in a request to add Menendez as a defendant in Sandoval's countersuit against Hudson County. The county, in a wide-ranging civil complaint filed in January, claims Sandoval received lucrative contracts at the county jail and psychiatric hospital after bribing former County Executive Robert Janis zewski, who is now in prison.

It would be up to U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano to rule on Sandoval's request.

Menendez campaign spokesman Matt Miller called Sandoval's latest court filing "just one more long, extended rant from an ad mitted crook looking to hang on to the money he stole from taxpayers. This is as silly as it is false."

Sandoval dealt a blow to Me nendez's campaign against state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. last month by going public with recordings of Me nendez's best friend, Donald Scarinci, using the senator's name as he urged Sandoval to hire another doctor. Menendez said Scarinci had acted without his knowledge, and his campaign then severed ties with Scarinci.

Sandoval attorney Tomas Espi nosa said yesterday his client did not control the timing of the lawsuit. "Whoever brought this suit must have overlooked that this was an election year," Espinosa said. "My client didn't choose the year. My main concern is my client, and if people want to play politics with the information, then that is up to them."