Bob Menendez and the gold bars: A short history of New Jersey corruption

Bob Menendez was indicted this week on federal charges of bribery and corruption.

Ruben Navarrette: Sen. Menendez is the only senator to be indicted twice.

He says Menendez 's alleged misdeeds can be seen as an inevitable product of New Jersey's political culture.

Navarro: New Jersey is truly exceptional, in a dystopian sense, and no one personifies that better than him.

Sen. Menendez is accused of taking $1 million worth of "lavish gifts and campaign contributions" from Dr. Melgen , a friend of Sen. Cory Booker , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina .

Ruben Navarrette: Menendez 's alleged misdeeds can be seen as an inevitable product of New Jersey's political culture.

He says Menendez was "severely admonished" by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics for taking and not disclosing "gifts of significant value".

Indictment: Menendez met with " Candidate " under consideration as a potential U.S. attorney for New Jersey .

Philip Sellinger , a longtime partner at Greenberg Traurig , has been identified by reporters as Sellinger .

Prosecutors say Menendez tried to pressure Sellinger to recuse himself from a bank fraud case involving one of his co-defendants.