(CNN) - Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, in an exclusive television interview with CNN on Monday, denied claims that he had engaged in parties with prostitutes during trips to the Dominican Republic.
"The bottom line is all those smears are absolutely false," Menendez told CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash on Capitol Hill.
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The New Jersey Democrat is also battling allegations of improper travel with a generous donor whose plane he took to the Dominican Republic and who has business ties in the Caribbean nation.
Shortly before Election Day, a conservative online publication cited three unidentified sources who claimed Menendez had flown on private planes to the Caribbean and during the trips had sex parties with prostitutes.
Menendez, however, fired back on Monday and called the prostitute allegations "unsubstantiated."
"The smears that right-wing blogs have been pushing since the election - and that is totally unsubstantiated and it's amazing to me that anonymous, nameless, faceless individuals on a web site can drive that type of story into the mainstream," he said.
"But that's what they've done successfully. Now nobody can find them. No one ever met them. No one ever talked to them but that's where we're at," he added.
READ MORE: Home state newspaper casts doubt on Menendez during scandal
His comments came as one of the women accused of being a prostitute involved with Menendez denied those claims in a Spanish-language interview released on Monday.
The woman, identified as 21-year-old Yaneisi Fernandez, says she's never met Menendez or worked as a prostitute.
"I've never participated in those activities, I don't know those people or that man," Fernandez told Univision. CNN is not able to verify Fernandez's story.
As for the other allegations, Menendez has faced scrutiny for taking multiple flights in 2010 with the donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen, a South Florida ophthalmologist. However, he didn't pay for the flights-valued at $58,500-until January 4 of this year.
Asked Monday why it took so long to repay the money, Menendez said he was having a busy year and chalked it up to an oversight.
"I was in a big travel schedule in 2010 as the chair of the (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee), plus my own campaign getting ready for a re-election cycle and in the process of all of that, it unfortunately fell through the cracks," he told CNN.
"When it came to my attention that payment had not taken place, I personally paid for them in order to meet my obligation," he added.
Pressed further on how he managed to overlook such a big chunk of money, Menendez said, "The bottom line is when it came to my attention, I paid for it."
"There were a series of flights that were alleged," he continued. "Several of them were shown not to be the case, but after the election when I got to look at the allegations and I did my own self-inspection, I ultimately came forward. As a matter of fact, one of those flights I self reported."
Another issue has to do with whether Menendez advocated on Capitol Hill on behalf of ICSSI - a port security company in which Melgen has a stake. The company had a contract to screen cargo that went through Dominican ports, but Menendez argued last July during a Senate subcommittee hearing that Dominican authorities didn't want to "live by" the contract.
Asked if he used his influence to help Melgen, he said: "I have always advocated for issues and I have advocated for policies, and that's what I have done across the board."
– CNN's Jim Acosta, Adriana Hauser, Alan Duke, Kevin Liptak and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
READ MORE: Sen. Menendez faces scrutiny over ties to Florida doctor
From CNN Politics
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Well CNN is covering the denials...Lets see how much they cover it once the story is proven to be true...
You can always tell when a sleezbag politician is lying...
Prediction... If any other flights are reported in the press he will find oversights there also
There will be numerous contracts to be had in africa and syria if it ever falls. Can you imagine the daydreams of money he is having about being the chair of foreign relations cmt.
There's a chance it could rival the fraud involved in the iraqi reconstruction project but that would take some doing
Robert these people are really after you, guilty or not.
Not to worry...dimdems get a pass on anything related to character,..its the "is is" way...the media will ignore or defend like they did known serial adulterer Willy Klinton...Teddy K's killer trips and Jesse's adultery love child..the corrupt pawn media is like that...gullible biased fools.
Ah the cover up. When will these guys learn the cover up will get them ever time. Why not do a mea culpa and the libs will forgive and forget. He is now headed down the Weiner path. He thinks he has Corzine's clout. Wrong baby wrong.
Amazing, nameless, faceless, people can claim Mitt Romney paid no taxes and Senator Menendez was no where to be found.
"The smears that right-wing blogs have been pushing since the election – and that is totally unsubstantiated and it's amazing to me that anonymous, nameless, faceless individuals on a web site can drive that type of story into the mainstream," he said."
Gee – kinda like Harry Reids' smears against Romney during the election, huh? Oh wait, that's different – Romney is a Republican. Never mind.
Lets see if CNN will delete this....
He's just a trashy sleezebag who got caught and is now trying to figure a way out. Nice pick to represent you NJ!
The Dominican girls are in brothels all over the carribean...their lives are cheap to put it bluntly...There is no doubt in my mind that a rich businessman could have them "disappear" for 200 dollars...it aint America down there...she will say what she is told to.
As much as he is in denial it's bound to be true he's guilty.
Just like he forgot about the 58K in traveling costs, the bigger question is how does his Dr friend who owes millions in taxes contribute to his campaign and how does he afford to fly Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez with all those tax issues ? Now why would Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez be flying around with Dr. Salomon Melgen, Melgen’s practice gave $700,000 to Majority PAC, a super political action committee set up to fund Democratic candidates for Senate last year now how does a man who owes the IRS for the $11.1 million he owes in back taxes from 2006 to present pay for all of that. Next did this buy influence from Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez ?
Right wing smear – sounds legit.
It's a right wing conspiracy!!!! Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...right.
CNN found only one woman who disputed the charges? What a surprise. Why not get in touch with the Soros funded CREW and check out some of the names they can provide. Better to shed sunlight on the story than to push the Daily Caller and the tax payers into the shadows.
another great example of how they lie. Had a busy year and didn't pay until he got caught.......
He's going down within a year.
He is a criminal.
of course he denies it. While not illegal there it's not acceptable in this country and why was he so quick to pay the doctor back when he got caught. If I were him for the good of the Senate he should resign.his seat and no pun intended put this thing to bed..what will he do, apologize to the young girls he took advantage of. My father always taught me to live my life beyond reproach.. As a political figure there should be on question he should resign.
I'd rather not talk about this guy's "smears."
Menendez is the perfect Demorat.......Barry will probably put him in charge of our schools. Lots of young girls for him to be around. That way, he wont have to travel so far for his jailbait.
It's normal for a democrat to be a pederast, just ask Harry Reid. Democrat women should really bend over in support of this guy.
Not one of the major 3 network evening news has even mentioned this
Pedophile – why liberal progressives keep defending dirt bags like this
What do you expect from a dirty Democrat!!!