Dominican Police Say Women Paid To Accuse Menendez

Police in the Dominican Republic say they have determined that three women who said they had sex with a U.S. senator for money were in fact paid to make false claims by an attorney in the Caribbean country.

Police spokesman Maximo Baez says officers traced the payments to attorney Melanio Figueroa. Baez says two women received about $425 each and the other was paid about $300 to falsely state on camera that they had sex with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

Baez said at a news conference Monday that authorities were seeking to interrogate Figueroa about the payments. Figueroa did not respond to messages left at his office. The women's videotaped statements were published on the political website The Daily Caller.

Menendez denied the allegations.

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