By Tom Malinowski

In New Jersey, we think of the fall of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez as a story of old fashioned corruption — a politician taking gifts for favors.

For that crime, Menendez is now serving an 11 year prison sentence. And state officials have continued to pile on consequences, with Attorney General Matt Platkin filing a lawsuit to have it judicially confirmed that Menendez is “forever disqualified” from holding public office, and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn promoting a bill that would take away state pensions from former officials convicted of misconduct in office.

But there is an equally disturbing side of the story that’s gotten less attention, involving the people on the other side of the transaction.

As evidence in Menendez’s trial showed, the government of

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