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Bob Menendez

Robert Menendez (born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. A member of the Democratic Party and the Cuban–American lobby, he was first appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Jon Corzine, and chaired the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from 2013 to 2015, and again from 2021 to 2023. On July 16, 2024, he was convicted in a political corruption case.

In 1974, at the age of 20, Menendez was elected to the Union City School District's Board of Education. He received degrees from Saint Peter's University and Rutgers Law School. In 1986, he was elected mayor of Union City. In 1988, while continuing to serve as mayor, he was elected to represent the state's 33rd district in the New Jersey General Assembly and, within three years, moved to the New Jersey Senate, upon winning the March 1991 special election for the 33rd Senate district.

The next year, Menendez won a seat in the House of Representatives and represented New Jersey's 13th congressional district for six two-year terms, from 1993 to 2006. In January 2006, he was appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jon Corzine (who had been elected governor of New Jersey) and was elected to a full six-year term in November; he was reelected in 2012 and 2018.

In 2015, Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges; the jury was unable to reach a verdict, and the charges were dropped in 2018. In April 2018, the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics "severely admonished" Menendez for accepting gifts from donor Salomon Melgen without obtaining committee approval, for failing to disclose certain gifts, and for using his position as a senator to advance Melgen's interests.

In September 2023, Menendez was again indicted on federal corruption charges that he aided and provided sensitive information to the government of Egypt. He stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but refused to resign from the Senate and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, despite calls to resign from numerous state and congressional Democrats, including 30 of his Senate colleagues. In an October 2023 indictment, Menendez was charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent of the Egyptian government; a superseding indictment in January 2024 also accused Menendez of working for the government of Qatar.

In March 2024 he was indicted again for obstruction of justice. While Menendez declined to run for the Democratic Party's nomination in New Jersey's 2024 U.S. Senate election, he is running as an independent under the party name "Menendez for Senate". In July 2024, Menendez was found guilty of all 16 charges in his federal corruption trial. He is the first sitting member of U.S. Congress to be convicted of conspiracy by a public official to act as a foreign agent. Menendez has told WCBS-TV correspondent Christine Sloan that he has no plans to resign, refuting NBC News' report that he will resign.

Early life
Menendez was born on January 1, 1954, in New York City to Cuban immigrants who had left Cuba a few months earlier, in 1953. His father, Mario Menéndez, was a carpenter, and his mother, Evangelina, was a seamstress. The family subsequently moved to New Jersey, where he grew up in an apartment in Union City. He attended Union Hill High School, where his speech teacher, Gail Harper, helped him develop as a public speaker. Menendez has said, "My mother and Miss Harper made me understand the power of education, what it means to put a premium on learning and working hard." While at Union Hill, Menendez became the student body president. His father, Mario Menéndez, was reportedly a "compulsive gambler" who committed suicide on June 1, 1978 after deciding to not pay gambling debts.

He went on to become the first in his family to go to college, attending Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, where he became a member of the Lambda Theta Phi fraternity. He graduated with a B.A. in political science, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School in 1979 at the Newark campus. Menendez was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1980 and became a lawyer in private practice.

Union City politics (1974–92)
At the start of his career, Menendez was an aide to Union City mayor and state senator William V. Musto. In 1974, he was elected to the Union City Board of Education, the youngest candidate ever to win election to the board. In 1982, he unsuccessfully challenged Musto for mayor.

In the 1984 presidential election and 1985 state elections for governor and General Assembly, the Republican Party carried Hudson County, with crucial support from Jersey City mayor Gerald McCann. To build on their gains in the urban, normally Democratic county, Republicans made a significant investment in the 1986 municipal elections. In Union City, Republicans funded an "Alliance Civic Association" (ACA) ticket for city council, led by Republican Assemblyman Ronald Dario. His running mates were two Republicans, Manny Alcobar and Charles Velli, and two Democrats, Menendez and future mayor Bruce Walter.

The ACA swept the council elections with 57% of the vote, beating the reform slate "Transformation '86" and the incumbent "Union City Together" ticket. The Together party, which included Musto's wife, Commissioner Rhyta Musto, represented the remnants of Musto's political machine. Although Republicans had formed and funded the ACA ticket on the premise that the new council would elect Dario mayor, Menendez and Walter convinced Alcobar to switch his vote to Menendez.

New Jersey legislature (1987–92)
In November 1987, Menendez was elected to represent New Jersey's 33rd district in the General Assembly. He also continued to serve as mayor until 1992. He held both offices until March 1991, when he moved from the Assembly to the New Jersey Senate upon winning the special election following the death of Christopher Jackman.

Elections
In 1992, incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Frank Guarini, of New Jersey's 14th congressional district, retired after redistricting. The district had been renumbered as the 13th district and reconfigured as a Latino-majority district. Menendez decided to run in the primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—and defeated Robert Haney Jr., 68%–32%. He defeated New Jersey Superior Court Judge Fred J. Theemling Jr. in the general election with 64% of the vote. After that, he was reelected every two years with at least 71% of the vote until he was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2006.

Tenure
Menendez, who is described as very close to Republicans on foreign policy, voted for the failed Kosovo Resolution, authorizing the use of military force against Yugoslavia in the Kosovo War. He was an early advocate of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities, sponsoring the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998, which passed the House but failed to pass the Senate.

Menendez voted for Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, authorizing the President to use military force in Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2002, Menendez voted against the Iraq Resolution to authorize the invasion of Iraq.

Menendez voted against the United Nations Reform Act of 2005, cutting U.S. funding to the U.N. by 50% over three years, and sponsored the Tsunami Orphans and Unaccompanied Children Act of 2005 to assist victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Menendez voted for the PATRIOT Act in 2001, and in 2006 for its reauthorization.

In the 105th Congress, Menendez voted for the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, repealing provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 that limited investment banks from acquiring insurance companies or other commercial banks, and voted for the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. After the 2001 Enron scandal, Menendez voted with 333 other House members for the Sarbanes–Oxley Act.

Although he had sometimes been portrayed as the political boss of Hudson County, he strongly dislikes this appellation, particularly because, according to an anonymous close source quoted in the December 11, 2005 Union City Reporter, "there is no boss of Hudson County". According to a 2005 New York Times op-ed, "Since entering politics as a corruption-fighting mayor of Union City, N.J., Mr. Menendez has become a proponent of business as usual. He has long been an entrenched de facto leader of the Hudson County Democratic machine."

In September 2006, just a few weeks before the 2006 Senate elections, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey, headed by Chris Christie, began investigating a rental deal with North Hudson Community Action Corporation, subpoenaing records from them. Some Democrats criticized the investigation, particularly the timing of the investigation and news leaks, as politically motivated.

U.S. Senate (2006–present)
In January 2006, Governor Jon Corzine appointed Menendez to fill the remaining year in Corzine's Senate term, from which Corzine resigned after being elected governor of New Jersey two months before. While several others had been mentioned, Menendez was the early favorite among pundits for Governor-elect Corzine's choice. Corzine's decision to appoint Menendez got the support of several Latino groups, including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Menendez was the sixth Latino to serve in the United States Senate.

In 2015, Menendez was ranked #1 on The Hudson Reporter's annual Power List of the "Fifty Most Powerful Political Figures in Hudson County".

1996
When incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Bradley decided to retire in August 1995, Menendez made known his intention to run in the 1996 election for the seat, but eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed Robert Torricelli, the Democrat representing New Jersey's 9th congressional district. Similarly, in 1999, when the state's other U.S. Senator, Frank Lautenberg, announced his planned retirement, Menendez again decided not to run, with the Democratic nomination for the 2000 race going to Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine, who won the general election.

2006
In the midterm elections held on November 7, near the end of his one-year appointment, Menendez ran to retain his Senate seat. He defeated Republican Thomas Kean Jr., incumbent minority whip in the New Jersey Senate, and son of former state governor Thomas Kean, with 53% of the vote to Kean's 45%.

Menendez was endorsed by several newspapers including The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Star-Ledger, and The Record.

2012
Menendez ran for reelection to a second full term and defeated Republican Joe Kyrillos on November 6, with 58% of the vote to Kyrillos's 39%.

2018
Menendez ran for reelection to a third full term and defeated Republican Bob Hugin on November 6, with 54% of the vote to Hugin's 42%.

2024
On March 21, 2024, Menendez announced that he would not run in the Democratic primary due to his indictment on federal corruption charges. He did not rule out running as an independent. On June 3, Menendez officially filed to run as an independent. He told the Associated Press that despite running as an independent he would not leave the Democratic Party.

Committee assignments
As of July 2019, Menendez serves on the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the United States Senate Committee on Finance; and the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

 * Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Committee on Finance
 * Committee on Foreign Relations (suspended chair)

Caucus memberships

 * Armenian Caucus
 * Congressional Autism Caucus
 * International Conservation Caucus
 * Human Rights Caucus
 * Narcotics Abuse and Control Caucus
 * Friends of the Irish National Caucus
 * Afterschool Caucuses
 * Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Tenure
On January 6, 2021, Menendez was participating in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. After rioters breached the Capitol, he was evacuated to an undisclosed location with other senators. He called the attack "anarchy" and "a sad day for our democracy". After the Capitol was secure and Congress reconvened, Menendez voted to certify the election. Menendez blamed Trump and Republicans who supported Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud for inciting the attack. He also called for an investigation into white supremacy in the military.

Immigration

Menendez is an "aggressive advocate" of immigration reform, calling it the "civil rights issue of our time". He has introduced multiple pieces of legislation in attempts to overhaul what he calls our "failed immigration system". Menendez introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011, but it died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 2009, he introduced the Orphans, Widows, and Widowers Protection Act, granting a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented widowers and orphans of deceased U.S. citizens.

Menendez is a strong supporter of the DREAM Act, saying, "Children should not be punished for the actions of their parents. These kids have grown up as Americans, worked hard in school and now they want to serve our country in the military or pursue a college education. This is the only home many of them have known and they should be encouraged to pursue the American dream." He voted for the DREAM Act in 2007 and was a cosponsor along with 31 other senators in the Act's failed passage in 2010.

Menendez voted against denying legal status to illegal immigrants convicted of domestic violence, crimes against children and crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, but voted to establish a six-month to 20-year ban for undocumented immigrants seeking citizenship who had been convicted for the same crimes along with obstruction of justice, human trafficking and the participation of criminal gang activity.

Menendez supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 and Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, voting for both bills. He voted against Senate Amendment 1151, declaring English the national language of the Federal government of the United States. He voted to continue federal funding for declared "sanctuary cities".

He voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, building 700 miles (1,100 km) of physical barriers and expanding surveillance at the Mexico–U.S. border, and supported Senate Amendment 4775, which would have appropriated $1.8 billion for the construction of 370 mi of triple-layered fencing, and 461 mi of vehicle barriers along parts of the Southwest.

On January 28, 2013, Menendez was a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators that announced principles for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). In 2014 the National Council of La Raza (America's largest Latino advocacy organization) recognized Menendez for his work in supporting immigration reform as a member of the "Gang of Eight".

Agriculture
In June 2019, Menendez and 18 other Democratic senators sent USDA Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong a letter requesting that she investigate USDA instances of retaliation and political decision-making and asserted that not conducting an investigation would mean these "actions could be perceived as a part of this administration's broader pattern of not only discounting the value of federal employees, but suppressing, undermining, discounting, and wholesale ignoring scientific data produced by their own qualified scientists".

Disaster relief
In April 2018, Menendez was one of five Democratic senators to sign a letter to FEMA administrator Brock Long calling on FEMA to enter an agreement with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development that would "stand up the Disaster Housing Assistance Program and address the medium- and longer-term housing needs" of evacuees of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The senators asserted that "FEMA's refusal to use the tools at its disposal, including DHAP, to help these survivors is puzzling – and profoundly troubling" and that hundreds of hurricane survivors were susceptible to being left homeless in the event that FEMA and HUD continued not to work together.

Environment
Menendez introduced legislation that would incentivize the conversion of vehicles to run on natural gas; the bill did not make it out of committee in its first incarnation and failed to receive 60 votes required to pass in 2012.

In February 2019, in response to reports of the EPA intending to decide against setting drinking water limits for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as part of an upcoming national strategy to manage the aforementioned class of chemicals, Menendez was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler calling on the agency "to develop enforceable federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, as well as institute immediate actions to protect the public from contamination from additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)".

In June 2019, Menendez was one of 44 senators to introduce the International Climate Accountability Act, legislation that would prevent President Trump from using funds in an attempt to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and directing the Trump administration to develop instead a strategic plan for the United States that would allow it to meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement.

Education
Menendez sponsored the Student Non-Discrimination Act, expanding Title IX of the Education Amendments Act to LGBT students, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2011, which would also amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. He voted for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, saying, "When someone is harassed, assaulted or killed simply because of the type of person they are, it's a crime against an entire community and our nation's values." In 2012, Menendez received a 94% rating from the Human Rights Campaign.

During a press conference about the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, Menendez claimed that New Jersey was facing a $10.5 billion shortfall in its 2012 fiscal budget that would lead to cuts in state spending on education. PolitiFact rated this statement "false" because the 2012 budget was balanced and increased education funding.

LGBT policy
Menendez voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as a congressman in 1996; on December 18, 2011, he came out in support of, and co-sponsored, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA. Menendez also voted for the U.S. military's Don't ask, don't tell as a congressman, and co-sponsored the DADT repeal act in 2010.

In 1999, Menendez voted against a proposed amendment that would have banned adoption in Washington D.C. by same-sex couples and other persons not related by blood or marriage. The amendment failed with 213 votes in favor and 215 votes against.

Of gay rights, Menendez has said, "Two people who want to be committed to each other should be able to enter into marriage, and they should receive the benefits that flow from that commitment."

Gun policy
Menendez has an "F" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund and a "F−" rating from the Gun Owners of America due to his support of gun law reform. Specifically, he supports universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons.

In January 2019, Menendez was one of 40 senators to introduce the Background Check Expansion Act, a bill that would require background checks for either the sale or transfer of all firearms, including all unlicensed sellers. Exceptions to the bill's background check requirement included transfers between members of law enforcement, loaning firearms for either hunting or sporting events on a temporary basis, providing firearms as gifts to members of one's immediate family, firearms transferred as part of an inheritance, or giving a firearm to another person temporarily for immediate self-defense.

In June 2019, Menendez was one of four senators to cosponsor the Help Empower Americans to Respond (HEAR) Act, legislation that would ban suppressors being imported, sold, made, sent elsewhere, or possessed and grant a silencer buyback program as well as include certain exceptions for current and former law enforcement personnel and others. The bill was intended to respond to the Virginia Beach shooting, where the perpetrator used a .45-caliber handgun with multiple extended magazines and a suppressor.

Health care
In December 2018, Menendez was one of 42 senators to sign a letter to Trump administration officials Alex Azar, Seema Verma, and Steve Mnuchin arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to "increase health care costs for millions of consumers while weakening protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions". The senators requested the administration withdraw the policy and "re-engage with stakeholders, states, and Congress".

In January 2019, during the 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, Menendez was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb recognizing the efforts of the FDA to address the effect of the government shutdown on the public health and employees while remaining alarmed "that the continued shutdown will result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products".

Foreign affairs
Menendez holds that the success of America's foreign policy is "inextricably linked to the health of her domestic democracy", stating in the January 19, 2021, confirmation hearings of Secretary-designate Antony Blinken that public servants and senators have a "duty to stand up for democracy, for the constitution, and for the rule of law". He identified chief concerns as "rebuilding alliances, restoring American leadership in international institutions, and addressing complex global challenges like climate change, migration, pandemics like COVID-19". He identifies the "core American values" as "democracy, human rights, and the rule of law", upon which foreign policy should be recentered.

In February 2006, Menendez cosponsored legislation with Senator Hillary Clinton to make it illegal for foreign governments to buy U.S. port operations. The legislation was a direct response to Dubai Ports World's efforts to purchase Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) of the United Kingdom, which operates six major U.S. ports. Menendez said, "Our ports are the front lines of the war on terrorism. They are both vulnerable targets for attack and venues for smuggling and human trafficking. We wouldn't turn the Border Patrol or the Customs Service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either."

Former undercover FBI agent Robert Eringer wrote in his 2008 book Ruse: Undercover with FBI Counterintelligence that Cuban diplomats approached him to infiltrate Cuban exile organizations. He said that the Cuban government believed Menendez and Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln Díaz-Balart were receiving illicit payments from such organizations, and that it wanted to identify the source of the payments in order to "expose and humiliate" the three Congress members.

In October 2009, Menendez sent a strongly worded letter of protest to Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, criticizing him for his praise of the Cuban government. Christofias, the leader of AKEL, Cyprus's communist party, from 1988 to 2009 and president from 2008 to 2013, had paid a state visit to Cuba in September 2009 for the opening of Cyprus's new embassy and, in his speech, made several anti-American embargo references, and spoke of the "common struggle of Cyprus and Cuba". In his letter to Christofias, Menendez wrote, "you cannot claim human rights violations by Turkey in your country and then ignore such violations in Cuba. Second, you cannot call for property rights for Greek Cypriots and then deny them on Cuba. Finally, you cannot take issue with the militarization of northern Cyprus and then ignore the state security apparatus that oppresses the Cuban people."

In December 2010, Menendez voted for the ratification of New Start, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and the Russian Federation obliging both countries to have no more than 1,550 strategic warheads or 700 launchers deployed during the next seven years along with providing a continuation of on-site inspections that halted when START I expired the previous year. It was the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years.

On August 18, 2015, Menendez announced his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran, saying, "President Obama continues to erroneously say that this agreement permanently stops Iran from having a nuclear bomb, Let's be clear: What the agreement does is to recommit Iran not to pursue a nuclear bomb, a promise they have already violated in the past."

In March 2017, Menendez co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.270), which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.

In 2018, Menendez urged Vice President Mike Pence to enter talks with Ecuador about withdrawing its asylum for Julian Assange. His letter, signed by nine other senators, alleged that it was Assange's goal to "undermine democratic processes globally". In March 2018, Menendez voted against Bernie Sanders's and Chris Murphy's resolution that would end U.S. support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. But Menendez criticized Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, saying, "The Saudi Coalition bears significant responsibility for the magnitude of human suffering and scale of destruction in Yemen. Seventy-five percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 8 million are on the brink of famine." Noting concerns with the language after voting for Bob Corker's resolution naming the Saudi crown prince "responsible" for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, he said, "regardless of all of my other concerns about language is the central essence of what the chairman is going to do. I think it's incredibly important for the Senate to speak on that issue and hopefully speak with one voice." Menendez condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar and called for a stronger response to the crisis.

Menendez raised the issue of Xinjiang reeducation camps and called China's treatment of Uyghur Muslim minority "beyond abhorrent", adding, "The President needs to have a clear and consistent approach to China, and not turn a blind eye as a million Muslims are unjustly imprisoned and forced into labor camps by an autocratic regime."

In January 2019, Menendez opposed Trump's planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan as a threat to U.S. national security.

In April 2019, Menendez was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to Trump encouraging him "to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America", asserting that Trump had "consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance" since becoming president and that he was "personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity" by preventing the use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding. The senators argued that foreign assistance to Central American countries created less migration to the U.S. by helping to improve conditions in those countries.

In June 2019, Menendez called for the immediate release of Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev, who was being held in custody by militants from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

In October 2019, Menendez stated his opposition to the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria.

Menendez called for the Trump administration to immediately suspend U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, sent through Pentagon's "building partner assistance program". According to critics, the aid could be used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In September 2020, Menendez tweeted: "I strongly condemn Azerbaijan's attack on Nagorno Karabakh, yet another act of aggression supported by Turkey." He co-signed a letter stating: "We have been very critical of U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan given the country's human rights record and aggression in the region. Earlier this year, at Senator Menendez's request, the Government Accountability Office agreed to conduct a review of security assistance to the country to ensure that it aligns with U.S. interests; this violence indicates that it does not."

In September 2022, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Menendez criticized the Biden administration for hesitating to impose sanctions on the governments of Sudan and Ethiopia, where many atrocities and war crimes were committed in the Tigray War.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Menendez became chair of the Foreign Relations Committee after John Kerry's confirmation as Secretary of State in January 2013. His "Syria force resolution" was praised by President Obama and others. Menendez has supported taking a "hard line" on Iran.

Foreign affairs legislation sponsored

 * Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (S. 793; 113th Congress) – Menendez introduced this bill on April 24, 2013. The bill would require the Secretary of State to develop a multiyear strategy to bolster the Organization of American States (OAS) and improve the OAS's processes for managing its budget and personnel. The act would require the Secretary to provide quarterly briefings to Congress on the progress of implementing that strategy.
 * Support for United States-Republic of Korea Civil Nuclear Cooperation Act – Menendez introduced this bill, which would authorize the President to extend the term of the "Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Korea Concerning Civil Uses of Atomic Energy" to a date no later than March 19, 2016. The bill passed the Senate on January 27, 2014, and the House on January 28, 2014.

 * Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, was introduced by Menendez to the 113th Congress on September 16, 2014, to address pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. It was co-sponsored by 14 other senators. President Obama signed the bill into law on December 18, 2014.
 * Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022. In light of the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, this legislation gave Ukraine $500 million "to assist the country in meeting its defense needs". The bill also reimposed sanctions on Russia.

Other issues
On September 28, 2006, Menendez voted for the Military Commissions Act.

On June 12, 2007, Menendez endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and was given the position of National Campaign Co-Chair. He made numerous media appearances in support of her campaign.

In 2009, Menendez succeeded Senator Chuck Schumer of New York as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Menendez's tenure, which followed two straight election cycles of dramatic Democratic gains, was marked by a more troubled Democratic outlook. Critics of Menendez pointed out the surprising Democratic loss in the 2010 Massachusetts Senate special election that followed the death of Ted Kennedy; Menendez's lower-key, more cautious management style; and problems caused by retirements in Indiana and elsewhere. Others, such as Schumer, defended Menendez's performance, citing the negative political climate.

A group of New Jersey citizens launched an effort to recall Menendez in early 2010. Although Article 1, Paragraph 2(b) of the New Jersey Constitution expressly authorizes such a recall, state officials fought the effort in court. On March 16, 2010, a State Appeals court ruled that the recall petition could proceed. Menendez said he was surprised that a group claiming to be true to the Constitution was trying, in his words, "to undermine it". He appealed the ruling. Legal experts have debated the constitutionality of a state recall of a federal officeholder. On November 18, 2010, the New Jersey Supreme Court found that the New Jersey provision violated the U.S. Constitution.

In 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported that Menendez had written to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, asking him to approve an acquisition that would rescue from the prospect of receivership a New Jersey bank, First Bank Americano, operated by Menendez donors. It was discovered that "eight of 15 directors, including the bank's chairman and vice-chairman, have been contributors to Menendez or his political action committee". Former federal bank regulator William K. Black called the letter "grotesquely inappropriate" and said that "the letter crossed an unofficial line by asking regulators to approve an application instead of simply asking that it be given consideration". An aide to Menendez said that political contributions did not influence his decision to write the letter. A highly critical Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation report found that the institution had engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices, including operating without adequate supervision by its board of directors, excessive delinquent or bad loans, inadequate earnings, and insufficient coverage of its assets.

On January 5, 2012, Menendez blocked Judge Patty Shwartz, an Obama administration nominee, to a federal judgeship, drawing speculation that the block was placed because of Shwartz's relationship with the head of the public corruption unit for New Jersey's federal prosecutor, who had investigated Menendez during his 2006 campaign. Menendez denied personal motivation for the block. He has long contended that the corruption investigation was politically motivated. The investigation was closed in late 2011 with no charges filed.

On December 12, 2012, it was reported that Menendez's office had an unpaid intern volunteering who had let his visitor visa expire and was a registered sex offender. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been aware of the man as early as October 2012 but according to the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructed their agents not to arrest the man until after Election Day. Menendez denied knowing about the allegation of the directive to delay the arrest and only recently learned of the arrest. According to two federal officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case, the intern was arrested in front of his New Jersey home on December 6, 2012.

In May 2014, Menendez received an award for Political Courage at a gala organized by the American Friends of Likud, where he reaffirmed the strong alliance between the U.S. and Israel and said, "several thousands of years of history lead to an undeniable conclusion: the reestablishment of the State of Israel in modern times is a political reality with roots going back to the time of Abraham and Sarah and historical texts and artifacts". He rejected movements to boycott Israel.

Menendez became an outspoken advocate of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) after it was delisted.

Menendez spearheaded a nonbinding resolution in July 2018 "warning President Trump not to let the Russian government question diplomats and other officials". The resolution states the United States "should refuse to make available any current or former diplomat, civil servant, political appointee, law enforcement official or member of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin". It passed 98–0.

In April 2019, Menendez was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators hoped the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

Menendez has pushed for a complete tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT). Most of the benefits of such a policy would benefit the wealthiest taxpayers.

Implication in child prostitution scandal
In November 2012, the conservative political news and opinion website Daily Caller published allegations that Menendez had contact with underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. The allegations were promoted by Republican Party operatives, who arranged for ABC News and the Daily Caller to interview two women who accused Menendez of patronizing prostitutes. ABC News and other news organizations such as The New York Times and the New York Post declined to publish the allegations, viewing them as unsubstantiated and lacking credibility. One accuser stated that she had been paid to falsely implicate Menendez and had never met him. The Daily Caller said this woman was not interviewed for its story. Menendez's office called the allegations "manufactured" by a "right-wing blog" as a politically motivated smear. On March 18, 2013, Dominican police announced that three women had said they had been paid $300–$425 each to lie about having had sex with Menendez.

Corruption charges and conviction
On August 27, 2006, two Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging he broke conflict-of-interest rules when renting property to a nonprofit agency that receives federal funds. Menendez helped the agency win designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center in 1998. That designation allowed it to receive additional federal grants. Menendez allies said that the organization in question, the North Hudson Community Action Corp., which provides social services and health care to the poor and was founded in 1960, had received federal funding for years before Menendez was in Congress, and receives its funding based on mathematical formulas. Menendez said that he rented the property out below market value because "he was supportive of its work". The total rent collected over nine years was over $300,000.

2015 indictment
In January 2013, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided the office of Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, a close friend and major donor to Menendez. Later that month, a federal grand jury in Miami began investigating Menendez for his role in advocating for Melgen's business interests. It was revealed over the following months that Menendez had paid Melgen nearly $59,000 for two private flights to the Dominican Republic in 2010. This raised questions about whether the flights violated Senate Ethics Committee rules. It was also found that Melgen's company had contributed more than $950,000 to Menendez's 2012 reelection campaign. Melgen's home was raided again on October 22 but he still refused to cooperate with investigators.

On April 1, 2015, the United States Department of Justice indicted Menendez and Melgen in United States v. Menendez (3d Cir. 2016). The charges against Menendez included bribery, fraud, and making false statements. According to the indictment, Menendez asked top State Department officials to pressure the Dominican Republic's government to enforce a port-security contract that would benefit Melgen's company while at the same time Melgen was promising to give $60,000 to Menendez's campaign. Prosecutors also charged that Menendez acted as Melgen's "personal senator", helping obtain visas for several of Melgen's girlfriends. In return, Menendez was accused of accepting a range of gifts from Melgen, including trips on Melgen's private jet, three nights at a five-star Paris hotel, a round of golf at a private club in West Palm Beach, and access to an exclusive Dominican resort—some of which Menendez allegedly failed to report on financial disclosure forms. Melgen also donated a substantial amount of money to Menendez's political campaigns, and prosecutors said that $750,000 of those contributions were tied to personal benefits Menendez accepted.

After his indictment, Menendez voluntarily stepped down as ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. His trial began on September 6, 2017, before Judge William H. Walls of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. On November 16, 2017, Walls declared a mistrial due to the jury's inability to reach a verdict on any charges. On January 31, 2018, the Justice Department announced it was dropping all charges against Menendez. The case was strongly shaped by McDonnell v. United States, the 2016 Supreme Court decision to vacate the corruption conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, which narrowed the legal definition of public corruption and made it harder for prosecutors to prove that a political official engaged in bribery. Melgen was convicted of 66 counts of health-care fraud and in February 2018 was sentenced to 17 years in prison; President Trump commuted his sentence in January 2021.

In April 2018, the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics "severely admonished" Menendez in a letter, writing:

"The Committee has found that over a six-year period you knowingly and repeatedly accepted gifts of significant value from Dr. Melgen without obtaining required Committee approval, and that you failed to publicly disclose certain gifts as required by Senate Rule and federal law. Additionally, while accepting these gifts, you used your position as a Member of the Senate to advance Dr. Melgen's personal and business interests. The Committee has determined that this conduct violated Senate Rules, federal law, and applicable standards of conduct. Accordingly, the Committee issues you this Public Letter of Admonition and also directs you to repay the fair market value of all impermissible gifts not already repaid."

2023 indictment

Beginning in late 2022, questions were raised about whether Menendez or his wife accepted allowable gifts from an Edgewater, New Jersey, halal meat provider and whether an Egyptian firm received unwarranted favorable treatment. Subpoenas unrelated to the latter firm were issued in May 2023 to Nicholas Sacco, the mayor of North Bergen, New Jersey, and others. Investigators found $480,000 in cash and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars at Menendez's home. On September 22, 2023, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged five people, including Menendez and his wife Nadine, with corruption in a new indictment. Among the allegations in the indictment was that Menendez "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt".

The indictment alleges that Menendez used his position to pressure prosecutors in New Jersey who were involved in the cases of his friends Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe in exchange for financial gifts from the two men. According to the Senate Historical Office, Menendez is the first sitting senator to be indicted on two unrelated criminal matters. After the indictment, he gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Over the following days, Democratic Party politicians such as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and numerous U.S. senators called for Menendez's resignation. Menendez said: "It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Menendez "has a right to due process and a fair trial". Representative Andy Kim responded that given Mendenez's refusal to resign, he would run in the Democratic primary for Menendez's seat in the 2024 United States Senate election in New Jersey. On November15, 2023, Murphy's wife, Tammy Murphy, announced that she was running for Menendez's Senate seat. On March24, 2024, she suspended her campaign.

On October13, 2023, prosecutors filed new charges that Menendez "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt" and failed to register as an agent of a foreign power for over four years. Senator John Fetterman called on the Senate to expel Menendez.

In a superseding indictment filed on January2, 2024, prosecutors alleged that Menendez made positive comments about Qatar in order to help a New Jersey real estate developer secure millions in funding from a member of the Qatari royal family. In exchange, Menendez allegedly received gifts including cash, gold, designer watches, and Formula One tickets.

On March5, 2024, Menendez and his wife were charged with obstruction of justice after prosecutors alleged that his attorneys had lied about payments two businessmen made on his wife's house and car. Menendez claims the payments were loans he later repaid, but prosecutors claim they were bribes. The indictment came the week after one of the businessmen, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery.

Trial and conviction
Jury selection for Menendez's trial began on May13, 2024. On June4, an FBI agent testified about surveillance she had conducted against Menendez in May 2019 at Morton's The Steakhouse in Washington, D.C., where Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were dining with three others, including an Egyptian official. Agents also testified about a search they performed of a safe deposit box in New Jersey Nadine Menendez used, in which they found $80,000 in cash. The defense noted that Menendez himself had never accessed the safety deposit box.

On June6, the prosecution called former New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal to the stand. Grewal told the court that in September 2019 Menendez invited him to a meeting at Menendez's office in Newark, at which Menendez complained about Grewal's office's treatment of Hispanic defendants in a trucking insurance fraud investigation; when Menendez made clear he was referring to an ongoing case, Grewal ended the meeting and left.

Closing arguments took place on July 9 and 10. Jury deliberations began on July 12. On July 16, the jury convicted Menendez of accepting bribes. Sentencing will take place on October 29, one week before election day.

Awards and honors
West New York, New Jersey, which borders Menendez's childhood hometown of Union City to the north, renamed Public School No. 3 in his honor; it is now known as Robert Menendez Elementary School. The renaming ceremony was held on December 4, 2013. In 2021, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, for "his contribution to the deepening of Greek-US relations and the promotion of peace and cooperation in the wider region". He also received the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III from President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades for "his contribution to promoting human rights, the rule of law, and democracy". In 2014 Menendez was awarded the Grand Cross of The Order of Isabella the Catholic by Prime Minister of Spain Mariano Rajoy for "his dedication to Spain and the Hispanic community and his excellent work in developing the links between Spain and the United States".

 * Greece:
 * GRE_Order_of_Honour_Grand_Cross_BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of Honour
 * Star for Merit and Honour (Ministry of National Defence commendation)
 * Cyprus:
 * CYP Order of Makarios III ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III
 * Spain:
 * ESP_Isabella_Catholic_Order_GC.svg Grand Cross of The Order of Isabella the Catholic

Personal life
In 1976, Menendez married Jane Jacobsen, a teacher for the Union City Board of Education and Union City Public Schools. They had two children: Alicia Menendez, an MSNBC television commentator/host, and Rob Menendez, who worked as the Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was elected to Congress in New Jersey's 8th congressional district in 2022 as a Democrat. Menendez and Jacobsen divorced in 2005. He has four grandchildren.

Later, Menendez dated Gwendolyn Beck, an author who later ran for Congress. In 2010, he brought her to the White House for a state dinner.

In December 2013, Menendez proposed to his girlfriend, Alicia Mucci, in the Capitol rotunda. Some sources say they married that month, but many others indicate that they never married.

He began a relationship with Nadine Arslanian in 2018. Reports conflict as to whether they had an "on-again, off-again relationship" for most of the year or met in December 2018 at the IHOP in Union City. In October 2019 they traveled to India and he proposed to her at the Taj Mahal. They married in October 2020. She has two children from a prior marriage, and was divorced in 2005. In September 2023, Arslanian was indicted on federal bribery charges alongside Menendez. It was subsequently reported that she had been involved in a December 2018 car accident that left a pedestrian dead. The case, which drew no charges or media coverage at the time, resurfaced in the federal indictment, where prosecutors allege Menendez interfered with the prosecution of a New Jersey businessman in exchange for a Mercedes to replace his wife's car.

As of 2009, Menendez lived in Hoboken. In 2011, he lived in North Bergen, and in 2014 he moved to Paramus. In 2018, he moved to Harrison, and in 2020 he moved into his new wife's home, in Englewood Cliffs.

House
Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, Donald K. Stoveken as an America First Populist received 682 votes. In 2000, Alina Lydia Fonteboa received 233 votes and Kari Sachs received 168 votes. In 2002, a candidate listed only as "Independent (The American Party)" received 34 votes; also, Herbert Shaw's full party name was "Politicians are Crooks – Politicos son Corruptos" (shortened for display purposes above).

title: Bob Menendez


text:
Hollywood Video

Hollywood Entertainment Corp., more commonly known as Hollywood Video, was an American video rental store chain. Founded in 1988, the chain was the largest direct competitor to Blockbuster Video until it was acquired by Movie Gallery in 2005. It ceased operations in 2010, when Movie Gallery declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

In October 2011, the chain's website had been relaunched as a blog. The website remains active, though the last entry was made in October 2014.

20th century
In 1984, Mark Wattles left college and was struggling financially. Wattles' parents had given him and his wife a VCR, which they used as a form of low-cost entertainment. Wattles later said: "I thought, 'There must be other people in America in the same shoes. I think this would be a great business." In 1985, Wattles borrowed money so he could open a 500 square-foot video rental store with 300 films, located in downtown Portland, Oregon. In 1988, Wattles formed Hollywood Entertainment and served as the company's president and chief executive. Hollywood Video stores later opened in Washington, California, Nevada, and Texas.

In 1993, Hollywood, which operated 16 stores, became a public company. As of 1994, the average Hollywood Video store was 7,500 square feet with 16,000 video tapes. In some instances, the company ordered up to 70 copies of a popular film for each store, while some stores stocked up to 200 copies of a single film. At that time, each store generated approximately $1 million (~$ in ), while 78 additional stores were planned to open in 1995.

In January 1995, Blockbuster filed a $10 million lawsuit against Hollywood Entertainment for hiring five former Blockbuster employees. Blockbuster alleged that the employees knew some of the company's trade secrets, which could be used to aid Hollywood Entertainment. At the time, Hollywood Video had 117 stores, compared to Blockbuster's 2,800 stores. Hollywood Video was ranked fourth in national sales. In May 1995, a judge ruled in favor of Hollywood Entertainment, stating that Blockbuster had failed to demonstrate irreparable harm as a result of the hiring.

In June 1995, Hollywood Entertainment had 153 stores in 11 states. The company's locations included stores operating under the Video Park and Video Central names. That month, Hollywood Entertainment announced plans to triple the number of stores by late 1997. In August 1995, Hollywood Entertainment purchased the 42-store Video Watch chain in the mid-western United States for $59 million (~$ in ). Video Watch was the last of four video rental chains that had been targeted by Hollywood Entertainment for purchase. In November 1995, Hollywood Entertainment announced plans to open 90 stores in Michigan over the next three years. The company also planned to open more than 200 stores in 1996.

In 1996, Hollywood decided to establish three regional offices, with one each in the Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco Bay Areas. Julie Wainwright became president and CEO of Reel.com, replacing founder, Stuart Skorman. After 27 months, in July 1998, CEO Mark Wattles announced Hollywood had purchased Reel.com "in a deal valued at $100 million", which included $30 million (~$ in ) in cash to Reel's stockholders; Reel.com was to continue operating independently, and led by its CEO Julie Wainwright, then Wainwright then left the organization to be replaced by Jeff Jordan.

21st century
Hollywood Video was the target of a hostile takeover attempt, initially announced at the end of December 2004 by competitor Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster announced an exchange offer of $14.50 per share ($11.50 cash and $3.00 in Blockbuster shares). In response, Hollywood Video agreed to a buyout on January 10, 2005, by Movie Gallery, a smaller competitor. Movie Gallery paid $860 million, $13.25 per share, and the assumption of $380 million in debt. Stocks closed at $13.85 on January 10 after this news. Blockbuster then dropped its purchase plans, citing antitrust concerns. Movie Gallery completed its purchase of Hollywood Video on April 27, 2005.

Hollywood became a subsidiary of Movie Gallery and maintained its Oregon headquarters.

Hollywood's last US store closed on July 31, 2010, whereas the last in Canada closed on August 8 of that year.

In December 2011, the website hollywoodvideo.com was relaunched as a movie news curator blog. The site used an automated "social scoring algorithm" to link to articles on the web pertaining to movies and other entertainment media content. The site also contained a blog written by a single editor (that was later expanded to multiple editors) about current movie-related news. As of April 2013, the "social scoring algorithm" part of the site was removed and replaced with the blog. The website also contained an interface for searching and buying movies from Amazon.com from within the Hollywood Video site.

Headquarters
At one time, Hollywood Video was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, in an 85000 sqft office building. In 1996, Hollywood moved its employees out of the building two years into its five-year lease. In 1996, Poorman-Douglas Corp agreed to occupy all of the space in the Beaverton building, relieving Hollywood of extra rent payments.

After Hollywood decided to leave Beaverton, it signed a long-term lease for a 166000 sqft building in Wilsonville, Oregon. Robert Goldfield of the Portland Business Journal said that Hollywood Video "barely" took occupancy of the structure; then Mark Wattles, the chief executive, decided to move the offices and the Hollywood Video headquarters to the former Smith's Home Furnishings headquarters in Wilsonville. In 1996 170 full-time employees worked from the headquarters. The 173000 sqft headquarters facility was no longer occupied by October 1998; as of that month the space was for lease.

In 1997, when Hollywood was considering a new headquarters location, the City of Wilsonville had signage codes that did not allow companies to use neon. The codes made Hollywood consider using other locations. Members of the City of Wilsonville's development review boards said that neon was out of character for the Wilsonville Business Park, Hollywood Video's prospective location.

In January 1999, Trammell Crow Co. bought the 77 acre Thrifty Payless Inc. headquarters for $25.5 million and then broke the compound into sections, selling pieces of it for a total of $22 million; Trammell Crow retained control of the $8 million, 120000 sqft headquarters building. Hollywood leased the headquarters building, and Hollywood remained headquartered in Wilsonville.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Hollywood Video


text:
Husavik, Norway

Husavik is a village in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on Vestre Vinnesvåg area on the southeastern shore of the island of Huftarøy, about 1 km northeast of the village of Vinnes and about 2 km south of the farming village of Otterå. The village is a regular stop for a ferry service connecting the islands of Austevoll to the large island of Stord to the south, across the Selbjørnsfjorden. The village was one of the first villages in Austevoll to gain industrial jobs. An engine factory was built here in 1910.

title: Husavik, Norway


text:
Category:French writers

This is a category of writers of French nationality. The main subcategories are Category:French novelists, Category:French dramatists and playwrights, Category:French poets and Category:French non-fiction writers (the latter being itself the parent of a number of sizable categories). If they wrote in French but were not nationals of France then they should not be included here, if they were nationals of France but wrote in a language other than French they belong here.

title: Category:French writers


text:
User talk:Amicism

Welcome to the Wikipedia
Here are some links I find useful

 * Policy Library
 * Cite your sources
 * Verifiability
 * Wikiquette
 * Conflict resolution
 * Brilliant prose
 * Neutral point of view
 * Pages needing attention
 * Peer review
 * Bad jokes and other deleted nonsense
 * Village pump
 * Boilerplate text

Feel free to ask me anything the links and talk pages don't answer. You can sign your name by typing 4 tildes, likes this: ~.

Cheers, Sam [Spade] 18:35, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Amicism


text:
User talk:Vegie~enwiki

Welcome to the Wikipedia
Here are some links I find useful

 * Policy Library
 * Cite your sources
 * Verifiability
 * Wikiquette
 * Conflict resolution
 * Brilliant prose
 * Neutral point of view
 * Pages needing attention
 * Peer review
 * Bad jokes and other deleted nonsense
 * Village pump
 * Boilerplate text

Feel free to ask me anything the links and talk pages don't answer. You can sign your name by typing 4 tildes, likes this: ~.

Cheers, Sam [Spade] 18:36, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

Homosexuality in China
Hey, I have rearranged the article Homosexuality in China to make it more clear, could you check that out and give me your opinion? Thx! :) --Yacht (talk) 05:53, Jul 27, 2004 (UTC)

User Categorization
You were listed on the Wikipedians/China page as living in or being associated with Beijing. As part of the User categorisation project, these lists are being replaced with user categories. If you would like to add yourself to the category that is replacing the page, please visit Category:Wikipedians in Beijing for instructions. Rmky87 16:23, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Vegie. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Vegie~enwiki that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name. If you think you might own all of the accounts with this name and this message is in error, please visit Special:MergeAccount to check and attach all of your accounts to prevent them from being renamed.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 03:17, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 20:12, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Vegie~enwiki


text:
Talk:Michael Moran (music producer)

Untitled
Content moved from article saved at 19:34, 31 Jan 2004 by user 62.40.175.111 Andrewa 18:39, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Michael Moran (music producer)


text:
Talk:Lynsey de Paul

Content moved
Content moved from article saved at 19:34, 31 Jan 2004 by user 62.40.175.111 Andrewa 18:40, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

Recorded with...
Bones is a disambiguation page. I'm not sure if this referes to the Swedish band or Bones Thugs-n-Harmony. Can someone who does please update the link? --Selket 07:44, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

 * Bones (disambiguation) is the disambiguation page. Mr.Atoz (talk) 00:55, 22 November 2011 (UTC)

"House cats"
She appeared in a documentary entitled "House Cats" which aired on The Science Channel 9/27/2008. She owns a three legged siamese cat. She thinks she can talk to her cats.Aaron (talk) 17:30, 27 September 2008 (UTC)
 * She can (or could) talk to her cats. Any human can talk to any animal. Whether the animals understand is another matter.--Doris Kami (talk) 15:04, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
 * In 1998 she introduced here Battersea Cats: (but presumably they talked for themselves). And in the 1990s she shared her Victorian mansion in north London "with a three-legged cat called Tripod":  Martinevans123 (talk) 16:01, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Date of birth
This FreeBMD source clearly gives 1948. But, although registration was in September 1948, the day and month of the birth can be found only in the record itself. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:32, 3 October 2014 (UTC)

 * FreeBMD says "We make no warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy or completeness of the FreeBMD data." which doesn't inspire confidence. I cited the Guardian because there was a request for a citation and they were convenient.  Looking at what's out there, we have her age as:

 * 66 - FreeBMD, Daily Mail, The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History
 * 65 - The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Songwriters: A Biographical Dictionary with Discographies
 * 64 - Guardian, Independent, Sky News, Telegraph, Mirror, Express, BBC, Sunday Times, Jewish Chronicle, The Encyclopedia of Popular Music,

 * A couple of other points arise. The FreeBMD entry has the given name as "Lyndsey" not "Lynsey".  And it's perhaps odd that the birth would be registered in Southwark when the family lived in Cricklewood.  Andrew (talk) 22:10, 5 October 2014 (UTC)
 * How intruguing - age 65 as well! I'm not an expert on London birth registration districts. And we don't know if she was born at home or in hospital. But transcription errors are quite possible, of course, at least for names and locations. I'm guessing all of the "64" sources may well have themselves shared a common root source, and one would not expect the BBC to get this kind of basic fact wrong. I guess some generous soul, who has access, could tell, us what the register index image shows, but the bottom line would be sight of the full Birth Register entry. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:34, 5 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I looked at the index scan which has the name as "Lynsey" not "Lyndsey" so that's a transcription error. The index doesn't have the exact birth date - it's just listing births for Jul-Sep of 1948.  This doesn't seem to fit with the birth being in June. Andrew (talk) 22:40, 5 October 2014 (UTC)
 * That's right, the indexes are just grouped into quarterly lists. But a June birth should have been placed in the previous quarter. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:43, 5 October 2014 (UTC)
 * My experience is that it's fairly common for deaths births to be recorded in the BMD in the quarter following the one in which the birth took place. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:22, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * And any views on reliability of FreeBMD in general? Martinevans123 (talk) 12:29, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't usually use FreeBMD as I've got an Ancestry.com subscription - but in this case it doesn't provide any additional info. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:38, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * So your bit of "WP:OR" concurs with mine? Martinevans123 (talk) 13:03, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes. Apart from the century. ;- )  Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:48, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

Some births don't get registered for up several weeks after the event, so it's perfectly logical that her birth would appear in the July-September quarter (e.g. I was born 13/6, but wasn't registered til 3/7). Company records also confirm she was born in 1948: Crisso (talk) 02:11, 8 October 2014 (UTC)
 * http://directors.findthebest.co.uk/l/2398729/Lynsey-De-Paul (email registration required to see full birth date)
 * https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/director/8982403/lynsey-de-paul
 * https://www.opencompany.co.uk/company/03862704/musiconic-limited

Today I checked the microfiche for birth records and found the following: Lynsey M. Rubin birth listed on the September microfiche for 1948; her mother's maiden name is given as De Groot, born at Southwark

knowing how you clowns disapprove of "original research", you might like to wait until this appears in the "Guardian", that "reputable source" that lies about Colin Jordan and for both Satpal Ram and Gerry Gable. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.176.101.5 (talk) 20:39, 9 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Hiya! I was wondering if you could support your claim that the guardian posts falsities about any parties such as the Satpal Ram and Gerry Gable you had mentioned. We're trying to use the best sources available and I did not attend clown college, such as Penn Jillette, so sorry to disappoint. What microfiche did you find for Lynsey de Paul? I don't believe you're referring to the birth date, because we have her born on June 11th, 1948. Personal research isn't inherently bad, but who's to say that you aren't trying to push an agenda of your own? That's all anyone's trying to say. I'm interested in where you found what you're referring to; would you post a link? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chewbakadog  (talk • contribs) 20:49, 9 October 2014

 * Sorry, I should have spelt the name Lyndsey - the microfiche is the official one' I've just check the BMD on-line, and it is correct. She could have been born June 10 or 11 but her birth appears on the September fiche, at any rate, she wasn't born in 1950. When her will is published - assuming she left one - her actual date of birth should appear in that. Alternatively you can fork out for a birth or death certificate.

 * Everybody has an agenda, but my research is conducted overwhelmingly from public domain sources. Check out my satpalramisguilty website and searchlightarchive for documentation on the lies mentioned. I actually took the Guardian to the Press Complaints Commission over that.

 * And just for good measure, compare what Clive Stafford Smith AND the New York Times Supreme Court correspondent said about Linda Carty with what Yours Truly said, then reassess your idea of "reputable" sources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.176.101.5 (talk) 21:56, 9 October 2014  (UTC)

The microfiche says 1948, and that over-rides everything else unless there is a compelling reason otherwise. Her death certificate will contain her date of birth and so should her will. The latter will probably be published fairly soon; I would assume she has left some bequests. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.144.114.153 (talk) 20:06, 10 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, your personal testimony counts for nothing. All we can rely on are reliable sources. But thanks for looking. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:15, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

Published sources giving 1948 as her birth year include this and this - as well as the sources cited by Crisso. We should make clear in the article that some sources support 1948, but that 1950 has also been claimed. Simply, we need to put both years, with citations, in the article, and readers can decide which is most likely to be true. Ghmyrtle (talk) 22:28, 9 October 2014 (UTC)

 * Yes, I feel she was more likely a couple of years older than me than two months younger, so please do put 1948 in too. Rothorpe (talk) 01:14, 10 October 2014 (UTC)
 * OK, now done. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:29, 11 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Excellent, thanks. Rothorpe (talk) 12:50, 11 October 2014 (UTC)

The next question is what to do about the year in the infobox. It's clear to me that, in fact, she was born in 1948, and that the infobox parameters don't (unless someone tells me different) allow for uncertainty. Should we change the year in the infobox template (currently stating 1950), or manually fill out the infobox to cover the uncertainty? Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:34, 11 October 2014 (UTC)
 * There is a way to allow for uncertainty. See the Doris Day page. Crisso (talk) 14:55, 11 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks, but I think that only works well when the person is still alive. We would have to double up the death parameter, which would give "1 October 2014 (age 64) or 1 October 2014 (age 66)" - which doesn't work.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 15:18, 11 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Your handmade solution works beautifully. That leaves only the category. Presumably that has to be one year or another (currently 1950). Rothorpe (talk) 15:42, 11 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I would support changing it to 1948 - but, frankly, I find it difficult to get excited about categories in general. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:29, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * We can't even use Category: 1940s births or Category:1950s births! Martinevans123 (talk) 11:33, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * 1950 capped off the '40s, as far as I'm concerned, or each decade wouldn't have ten years. Not Wikipedia's way, though. InedibleHulk (talk) 12:09, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

 * Martinevans123 wrote: "And we don't know if she was born at home or in hospital". I just found this. The "De Groot Family Tree" on ancestry.co.uk is here. - ErikvanB (talk) 03:01, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Yes, he did, didn't he. Probably because The Daily Telegraph, which claims that she was born in Cricklewood, didn't tell us. Martinevans123 (talk) 14:21, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

The Guardian obituary (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/02/lynsey-de-paul) was amended on 31 October 2014 to show the subject's birth year as 1948, and hence her age at death as 66. That obituary also comments that 1950 "was correct at the time of publication", which seems odd. Since no citations are provided in this subject's Wikipedia article for the BBC and Times obituaries, this can now be regarded as a non-issue. Phil Champ (talk) 13:56, 26 August 2018 (UTC)

Where'd the name come from?
A lot of the dispute about her age seems to stem from records for Lynsey/Lyndsey (Monckton/M.) Rubin. It doesn't seem clear from the article that Lynsey de Paul was called that. In her early life, there's something saying she changed her name from "Reuben", but doesn't mention a middle name at all. Maybe I missed it. Source? InedibleHulk (talk) 08:14, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I think there are ample sources - both BMD, and other sources - that her birth surname was Rubin, not Reuben, which was probably just someone's typo at some stage, and that her middle name was Monckton. BMD gives her first name as Lyndsey, which could be a transcription typo, or the original spelling - we don't know.  Bradley Walsh here refers to  "...Lyndsey Rubin who is Lynsey De Paul.....   [O]n the cover [of "Storm in a Teacup"] it's got L. Rubin, and that was her real name...."  That's verified by the entries here, which shows that she was still writing songs for other people as L. Rubin up to around 1972.  Then, when she launched her own career, she started using the name De Paul as both performer and writer on her own records.  (On this Spanish record she's credited with different names on the A-side and B-side, which is quite interesting.)  I very much doubt whether there's any reason for using the name "De Paul" other than it sounded cooler, as a stage name, than "Rubin".  Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:24, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Would be interesting to know if she took the name Paul from a family member. Was she an only child? Martinevans123 (talk) 11:29, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * A spot of WP:OR suggests that she had a brother John, born 1944 - confirmation Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:31, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Aha... ".. There had been the massacre at the Munich Olympics and I was told that it would be better not to have a Jewish name. I took De from my mother’s maiden name, De Groot, and my father’s middle name was Paul...." Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:36, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Good stuff, could all be added in my view. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:37, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Done. :-)  Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:44, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * All right then. I guess that's what the "Reuben" source meant by "dissociate herself from her family". Maybe we should replace that one, eh?
 * Oddly enough, someone named "L de Paul" removed the "Jewish family" part last November and changed the birth year to 1950. And that's it for her Wikipedia career. InedibleHulk (talk) 12:22, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

 * Still not sold on Monckton, though. Can't figure out a way to exclude post-death sources, and you know a lot of those just check Wikipedia. InedibleHulk (talk) 11:42, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * p.s. should we link Munich massacre inside her quote? Martinevans123 (talk) 11:45, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Isn't there some guidance somewhere against linking words inside verbatim quotes? But I've no objection to it.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:53, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, there is. But I'm also fine with that. The point of the guidance is to not imply words into other people's mouths. But it applies better to things like war and peace. Something this specific and unambiguous is OK. InedibleHulk (talk) 11:57, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * How about this: "Lynsey De Paul – FairfaxGardens.  She was born as Lyndsey Monckton Rubin in 1948. Her parents Herbert and Mena lived at 98 Shootup Hill......".   Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:47, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * That's a bit better, but it would be great if we could find one from before April 24, 2007 (when that Daily Mail "Reuben" source was the only reference). Or if we could ask that editor where he'd heard it. He seems to have packed up shop in August 2013, though.

 * At the end of the day, I guess it isn't exactly slanderous. Just a weird given name, especially for a girl (I find). InedibleHulk (talk) 11:56, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * For a moment there I thought you meant this editor! Martinevans123 (talk) 12:17, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Ha, no. He seems visible. Weird surname, though. How do you say that? Dur. Pays to read the lead. InedibleHulk (talk) 12:25, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Imperial version of "Dectar", lol. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:47, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * So, as for her mother...Mena? Meta? InedibleHulk (talk) 12:11, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Another detail that would be decided by the birth certificate. Maybe we should all chip in a fiver, haha. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:19, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * At least BMD is consistent about "Meta", as a mother and a wife to Herbert P./Paul. I guess they're a bit trustworthy. InedibleHulk (talk) 12:25, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't think we have very strong sources for "Monckton" as her middle name. It was added, unsourced, by an IP, if I recall.   If we have stronger sources for "Meta", we should use that.   Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:11, 23 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Meta would seem more likely since Monckton has very definite Catholic associations.--Doris Kami (talk) 13:15, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

"Abusive" family and the Daily Mail
I don't think we should be using this source for anything about her family background. There have been multiple discussions over whether the Mail should be regarded as a reliable source at all, and even though it claims to be quoting her directly, we know from experience that it can misrepresent statements, and we also know that members of her family including her brother are alive and may not accept (I don't know) that she came from an "abusive" family. Are there better sources for these allegations than the Mail? Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:07, 12 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Probably. Just seemed a huge part of that story, and conspicuous by its absence here. I don't mind if you'd like it back that way. InedibleHulk (talk) 13:09, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

Place of brith.
Where was de Paul born? Cricklewood or Southwark? The current source says Cricklewood. But some sources, such as The Stage, give Southwark: Martinevans123 (talk) 12:36, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
 * The Stage also says she was born in 1950, so judge its reliability accordingly.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:57, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
 * Maybe other sources which say Southwark have just copied from The Stage. But I thought somone had suggested her birth was registered in Southwark? In fact, IP86 above said: "Today I checked the microfiche for birth records and found the following: Lynsey M. Rubin birth listed on the September microfiche for 1948; her mother's maiden name is given as De Groot, born at Southwark." Martinevans123 (talk) 13:08, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
 * I have removed Cricklewood (see edit summary). ErikvanB (talk) 03:44, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * But The Daily Telegraph is considered a WP:RS and says: "The daughter of a property developer, Lynsey de Paul was born Lynsey Monckton Rubin in Cricklewood, north London, on June 11 1948". Whereas trees.ancestry.co.uk is surely an open public site with no editoral oversight whatsoever? I have no reason to doubt MikeDalley484835, whoever he might be, and Guy's Hospital sounds perfectly reasonable. I'm just reminding about the general view of these two sources. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:51, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

Her 2018 entry in the ODNB (now sourced) gives her birthplace as Southwark, citing her birth certificate. This is surely good for us to now use. Crisso (talk) 21:49, 7 June 2021 (UTC)

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Her name again
Is her name 'De Paul' or 'de Paul', because I've seen it spelt both ways in the article; also where would it come on an alphabetical list? RASAM (talk) 20:18, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

 * Her name is/was Lynsey de Paul (as per the article name). It would be spelt De Paul IF it was starting a sentence, otherwise it should always be rendered as de Paul. She is filed under 'P'. - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 21:13, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

fictional murder
There is a sketch in which Peter Cook plays a defendant accused of mass murder, and Terry Jones as the judge lists the victims, most of whom have funny names; among them "Viscount Lynsey de Paul". I always wondered where that came from, and why it got a laugh, until I happened upon this article (from Eurovision 1977, which I happened to see live). —Tamfang (talk) 19:10, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Lynsey de Paul