Federal prosecutors have indicted New Jersey’s Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and his spouse Nadine on bribery charges. The indictment came to light on a Friday, revealing that a search of the senator’s residence yielded $100,000 in gold bars and an additional $480,000 in concealed cash.
The indictment outlines a nefarious agreement between Menendez, his wife and three New Jersey businessmen — Wael “Will” Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. The couple consented to accept substantial bribes to shield these businessmen and advance the interests of Egypt.
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment document said.
Menendez leveraged his senatorial power to favor Hana and the Egyptian government. He disclosed sensitive U.S. government information and engaged in covert activities to assist Egypt.
“The court also found that Menendez promised to disrupt a criminal investigation and prosecution related to Uribe, and that the senator recommended President Biden’s nominee for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey be someone ‘who Menendez believed could be influenced by Menendez’ regarding prosecution of Daibes,” the filing said.
June 2022 saw FBI agents executing search warrants on the senator’s residence. They discovered over $480,000 in cash, much of which was meticulously hidden in envelopes, clothing, closets and a safe.
Cash-filled envelopes were discovered inside jackets bearing the senator’s name. The agents’ search also led to the discovery of home furnishings, a luxury vehicle and gold bars, all gifts from the implicated businessmen.
This indictment marks the second for Menendez, distinct from a prior charge that accused him of accepting extravagant gifts and campaign contributions from a Florida physician to influence government officials.
According to The Associated Press, the Senate Historical Office has confirmed that Menendez is the first sitting senator to face indictment on two separate criminal allegations.
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