Ethics inquiry into Bob Menendez to resume after mistrial
WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of senators say they plan to resume an ethics inquiry into Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.
Democrat and Republican members of the ethics committee said Thursday after a mistrial was declared in Menendez's criminal trial that it will resume a preliminary inquiry into alleged misconduct.
The inquiry was started in 2012, but was deferred in 2013 after the criminal investigation began.
Menendez's chief of staff, Fred Turner, says there's no merit to further pursuing the matter and the committee will "come to no different conclusion" than the jury.
The jury said Thursday it couldn't reach a unanimous verdict on any of the 18 counts against Menendez and a friend.
One of the charges was that Menendez failed to report gifts on his Senate financial disclosure forms.