A former staffer for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) testified Monday that he helped with the visa applications of friends of Dr. Salomon Melgen.

Under direct questioning from the government, “former senior policy adviser Mark Lopes testified that Menendez emailed him in 2008 authorizing a letter of support from Menendez to be sent to consular officials regarding the visa applications of two sisters from the Dominican Republic,” according to this NBC News story.