MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez won’t cover her father’s federal indictment.
The federal indictment of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez last week has taken a surprising personal turn. MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez, the daughter of Sen. Menendez, stated she won’t be covering her father’s indictment for the news outlet.
The indictment of Sen. Menendez was handed down by U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday, charging him with a slew of corruption-related offenses, including bribery, conspiracy, and other charges related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and contributions he allegedly accepted. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently out on a $1 million bond.
The situation became well and truly personal for Menendez when his daughter announced that she would not be covering her father’s indictment due to a conflict of interest. “When it comes to my dad and the legal proceedings that are now underway, it does personalize the story,” Alicia said in an interview with Politico. “I will not be covering this story for MSNBC.”
Alicia is best known for her show “Alicia Menendez Tonight”, which aired on MSNBC in 2012-13. However, despite her distancing herself from covering her father’s story, her name still comes up in discussions about it. “I understand,” she said to those who approach her out of curiosity; “There’s really no way for me to avoid being part of the story. But I can avoid covering it for MSNBC.”
Ms.Menendez’s eyebrow-raising decision to stay away from her father’s indictment has earned her praise from the public and media alike. In the words of one Twitter user, “Props to @AliciaMenendez for having the integrity to step away from covering her dad’s case!”
It’s certainly commendable that Alicia Menendez has so openly refused to cover her father’s indictment, a testament to her integrity as a journalist. In this, she chose to prioritize her own morals — or perhaps the avoidance of a personal conflict — over her profession. Either way, she has certainly distinguished herself and earned the admiration of her audience in the process.
