This picture supplied by the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in New York, exhibits two of the gold bars discovered throughout a search by federal brokers of Sen. Bob Menendez’s residence and protected deposit field. Menendez of New Jersey and his spouse have been indicted Friday on costs that they took bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automotive for a spread of corrupt acts, together with having the Democrat use his affect over overseas affairs to profit the authoritarian authorities of Egypt. Credit score: AP
This picture supplied by the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in New York, exhibits two of the gold bars discovered throughout a search by federal brokers of Sen. Bob Menendez’s residence and protected deposit field. Menendez of New Jersey and his spouse have been indicted Friday on costs that they took bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automotive for a spread of corrupt acts, together with having the Democrat use his affect over overseas affairs to profit the authoritarian authorities of Egypt. Credit score: AP
This photograph, which was included in an indictment of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), exhibits a jacket bearing Menendez’s title, together with money from envelops discovered contained in the Jacket throughout a search by federal brokers of the senator’s residence in Harrison, N.J., in 2022. Federal prosecutors introduced costs of bribery towards Menendez and his spouse, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Extra data on the jacket was redacted by the supply. Credit score: AP
NEW YORK — Highly effective Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was charged Friday with secretly aiding the authoritarian authorities of Egypt and making an attempt to thwart the legal prosecution of a buddy in change for gold bars and money underneath a corruption indictment that accuses him of utilizing his overseas affairs affect for private acquire.
Menendez was compelled to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee however mentioned he wouldn’t resign from Congress, although New Jersey’s governor, a fellow Democrat, and different Democrats within the state’s congressional delegation mentioned he ought to.
The indictment, the second in eight years towards the 69-year-old senator, alleges an unlawful commingling of Menendez’s obligations to advance U.S. priorities and his personal curiosity in cultivating relationships with rich businessmen. It additionally contains costs towards his spouse and three New Jersey businessmen who authorities say showered the couple with cash, gold and a luxurious automotive in change for official favors.
A earlier indictment of Menendez stemming from completely different allegations led to 2017 with a deadlocked jury.
Hours after the newest case was unsealed, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy demanded Menendez’s quick resignation, saying the allegations have been “so severe that they compromise” the senator’s capacity to serve. Extra requires him to resign got here from New Jersey Reps. Invoice Pascrell, Andy Kim and Mikie Sherrill, amongst others.
Menendez sounded defiant in response to requires him to depart workplace, saying in an announcement late Friday, “I’m not going anyplace.”
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned Menendez would step down as chairman of the Overseas Relations panel “till the matter has been resolved,” as per the principles of the Senate Democratic caucus, however Schumer stopped in need of calling for him to to resign.
This picture supplied by the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in New York, exhibits two of the gold bars discovered throughout a search by federal brokers of Sen. Bob Menendez’s residence and protected deposit field. Menendez of New Jersey and his spouse have been indicted Friday on costs that they took bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automotive for a spread of corrupt acts, together with having the Democrat use his affect over overseas affairs to profit the authoritarian authorities of Egypt. Credit score: AP
Menendez accused prosecutors of misrepresenting “the traditional work of a congressional workplace” and mentioned he wouldn’t permit his work within the Senate to be distracted by “baseless allegations.”
Authorities who searched Menendez’s residence final yr discovered greater than $100,000 price of gold bars, in addition to over $480,000 in money — a lot of it hidden in closets, clothes and a protected, prosecutors say. Photographs within the indictment present money that was stuffed in envelopes in jackets bearing Menendez’s title. Investigators additionally say they found a Google search by Menendez for the worth of a “kilo of gold,” and DNA of 1 man prosecutors say bribed him on an envelope crammed with 1000’s of {dollars}.
One set of allegations is that Menendez immediately interfered in legal investigations, together with by pushing to put in a federal prosecutor in New Jersey he believed may very well be influenced in a legal case towards a businessman and affiliate of the senator. Prosecutors say he additionally tried to make use of his place of energy to attempt to meddle in a separate legal investigation by the New Jersey Lawyer Common’s workplace.
Different accusations embody repeated actions by Menendez to profit Egypt regardless of U.S. authorities misgivings over the nation’s human rights file that lately have prompted Congress to connect restrictions on help. His efforts embody ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to elevate a maintain on $300 million in help to Egypt, one of many prime recipients of U.S. authorities assist, in addition to transmitting nonpublic data to Egyptian officers about navy points, the indictment says.
This photograph, which was included in an indictment of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), exhibits a jacket bearing Menendez’s title, together with money from envelops discovered contained in the Jacket throughout a search by federal brokers of the senator’s residence in Harrison, N.J., in 2022. Federal prosecutors introduced costs of bribery towards Menendez and his spouse, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Extra data on the jacket was redacted by the supply. Credit score: AP
Menendez, in an emailed assertion, mentioned: “For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly tried to silence my voice and dig my political grave. Since this investigation was leaked almost a yr in the past, there was an lively smear marketing campaign of nameless sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety the place none exists.”
David Schertler, a lawyer for Menendez’s spouse, Nadine, mentioned she “denies any legal conduct and can vigorously contest these costs in courtroom.”
Menendez seems to be the primary sitting senator in U.S. historical past to have been indicted on two unrelated legal issues, based on the Senate Historic Workplace. His trial on costs that he pressured authorities officers to resolve a matter involving a Florida eye physician — who had lavished him with presents and marketing campaign contributions — ended with a deadlocked jury.
He faces reelection subsequent yr in a bid to increase his three-decade profession in Washington as Democrats maintain a slender majority within the Senate.
“Bob Menendez has been a devoted public servant and is all the time combating arduous for the folks of New Jersey. He has a proper to due course of and a good trial,” Democratic chief Schumer mentioned in an emailed assertion.
Prosecutors allege Menendez and his spouse accepted tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes from three enterprise associates, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes. He used his affect to push to appoint Philip Sellinger as U.S. lawyer as a result of he believed he may affect Sellinger to guard Daibes, a longtime buddy and outstanding New Jersey developer who confronted legal prosecution, they mentioned. Sellinger, who presently serves within the place, will not be accused of any wrongdoing.
Daibes pleaded responsible final yr to financial institution fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced in October. His plea deal requires him to serve solely probation in that case.
The White Home declined to touch upon the indictment, together with on Biden’s nomination of Sellinger.
Requests for remark from legal professionals for Daibes and Uribe weren’t instantly returned. A spokesperson for Hana, Steven Goldberg, mentioned the indictment was nonetheless being reviewed however that the fees seem to have “completely no advantage.”
In April 2020, shortly after assembly with an Egyptian official, authorities allege, Menendez lobbied then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to extend American engagement in stalled negotiations involving Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to construct a dam over the Nile River, a key overseas coverage concern for Egypt.
Individually, after Menendez referred to as a authorities official about an investigation of a Uribe affiliate, Uribe and Hana labored to supply the senator’s spouse with a Mercedes-Benz convertible. The indictment says that after the transaction was full, Nadine Menendez texted her husband to say, “Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we’re the proud homeowners of a 2019 Mercedes,” with a coronary heart emoji.
The primary time Menendez was indicted, he had been accused of utilizing his political affect to strain authorities officers to resolve a Medicare billing dispute in favor of a buddy — Dr. Salomon Melgen — securing visas for the physician’s girlfriends and serving to shield a contract the physician had to supply port-screening tools to the Dominican Republic.
Menendez has all the time maintained his innocence, and prosecutors dropped the case after a jury deadlocked in November 2017 on costs together with bribery, fraud and conspiracy, and a choose dismissed some counts.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez has held public workplace constantly since 1986, when he was elected mayor of Union Metropolis, New Jersey. He was a state legislator and spent 14 years within the U.S. Home of Representatives. In 2006, Gov. Jon Corzine appointed Menendez to the Senate seat he vacated when he grew to become governor.
The brand new costs comply with a yearslong investigation that examined, amongst different issues, how Hana’s firm — IS EG Halal — was capable of safe sole authorization from the Egyptian authorities to certify that meat imported into that nation meets Islamic dietary necessities.
The designation shocked U.S. agriculture officers. Beforehand, a number of different corporations had been doing that certification, however they have been dismissed by Egyptian agriculture officers in favor of IS EG Halal, which had no earlier expertise within the discipline.
Prosecutors say Menendez then pressured a U.S. Division of Agriculture official to cease opposing Hana’s firm as the only halal certifier. Hana’s firm was used to ship bribes funds to a enterprise arrange by Menendez’s spouse referred to as Strategic Worldwide Enterprise Consultants, LLC, prosecutors allege.
Senate disclosure varieties amended by Menendez in March 2022 present Nadine Menendez’s belongings included gold bars valued between $100,000 to $250,000. Between April and June of 2022, the couple cashed out no less than a part of their treasured steel holdings, varieties present, promoting between $200,000 and $400,000 price of gold bars, whereas holding no less than $250,000 price.
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