Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is in a world of trouble. The lawmaker’s effort to have his trial thrown out of court was thwarted by a federal judge on Monday. Menendez and friend Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen must still face 18 criminal counts.

“Very, very bad news for Bob Menendez,” tweeted POLITICO reporter Steven Shepard.

https://twitter.com/POLITICO_Steve/status/919957876730294272?ref_src=twsrc% 5Etfw&ref_url=https% 3A% 2F% 2Ftownhall.com% 2Ftipsheet% 2Fmattvespa% 2F2017% 2F10% 2F16% 2Ffederal-judge-to-menendez-im-not-tossing-any-of-your-corruption-charges-n2395805

“That is a huge blow for Senator Menendez. He had a decent chance to have some (if not all) of the charges dismissed. Judge disagreed,” tweeted Kurt Siegelin.

https://twitter.com/kurtsiegelin/status/919957517605666819?ref_src=twsrc% 5Etfw&ref_url=https% 3A% 2F% 2Ftownhall.com% 2Ftipsheet% 2Fmattvespa% 2F2017% 2F10% 2F16% 2Ffederal-judge-to-menendez-im-not-tossing-any-of-your-corruption-charges-n2395805

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Townhall reports:

A federal judge on Monday refused to dismiss any of the 18 criminal counts against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, clearing the way for the pair’s bribery trial to enter the defense phase. Defense attorneys had argued a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the conviction of former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell narrowed the scope of federal bribery law to exclude the acts with which Menendez and Melgen were charged. […] Menendez, the senior Democratic senator from New Jersey, has maintained his innocence since April 2015, when the Justice Department first announced an indictment accusing him and Melgen of swapping government favors for lavish gifts.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Menendez’s former senior policy adviser Mark Lopes, testified that the lawmaker helped with visa applications for friends of a wealthy donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen.

ABC News reports:

Under direct questioning from the government, former senior policy adviser Mark Lopes testified that Menendez emailed him in 2008 authorizing a letter of support from Menendez to be sent to consular officials regarding the visa applications of two sisters from the Dominican Republic .One of the emails sent around the time had a subject line that read: “Dr. Melgen’s request.” When the applications were denied despite Menendez’s signed letter, Lopes testified, Menendez instructed him to reach out to the U.S. ambassador. The sisters were friends of Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, a longtime friend of Menendez’s. The two men were indicted in 2015 and face multiple fraud and bribery charges. Prosecutors said they orchestrated a scheme in which Melgen gave Menendez gifts and campaign donations in exchange for Menendez’s political influence.