New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez were indicted Friday on charges of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. U.S. prosecutors filed federal corruption charges against the senator, which could complicate Democrats’ efforts to maintain their slim majority in the U.S. Senate in the upcoming election.
First change: 09/24/2023 – 01:57
4 mins
A golden test. Gold bars, a luxury vehicle and cash are the evidence prosecutors are presenting in the corruption charge against powerful Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who is accused of using his foreign policy influence for personal gain.
Menendez and his wife Nadine are responsible for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to enrich businessmen and the Egyptian government, according to prosecutors.
The senator refused to resign after the accusation and requests from other politicians. “Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue fighting for the people of New Jersey with the same success I have had over the last five decades,” Menendez said in a statement.
“It’s not lost on me how quickly some people judge a Latino and push him out of his place. “I’m not going anywhere,” the senator said.
The indictment, the second in eight years against the senator, alleges a combination of Menendez’s commitments to advancing American priorities and his private interest in building relationships with millionaire businessmen. Also included were charges against his wife and three New Jersey businessmen who, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, gave the couple money, gold and a luxury car in return for official favors.
According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Menendez had to temporarily step down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until the case is resolved.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined other Democratic state officials and members of the U.S. House of Representatives in calling on Menendez to resign from the Senate.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) and his wife Nadine Arslanian arrive at a state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, United States, on December 1, 2022. © Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Portal
“The alleged facts are so serious that they threaten Senator Menendez’s ability to effectively represent the people of our state,” Murphy said.
Menendez: “unfounded allegations”
Prosecutors presented photos of gold bars that investigators seized from Menendez’s home and envelopes full of cash found in the senator’s closet. Prosecutors found more than $480,000 in cash in his home.
“The Senator allegedly passed confidential U.S. government information to Egyptian officials and took steps to secretly support the Egyptian government,” charged U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
The reparations to the Menendez family, which prosecutors say occurred from 2018 to 2022, include cash, gold and mortgage payments, as well as a job for Nadine that she barely took and a luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
Also charged in the case are businessmen Wael Hana, José Uribe and Fred Daibes, who allegedly bribed Menendez.
The charges against the Menendez couple are: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit fraud in the honest provision of services and conspiracy to commit extortion under the guise of official rights.
Menendez accused prosecutors of misrepresenting “the normal work of a congressional office” and vowed he would not allow his work in the Senate to be marred by “baseless allegations.”
The senator is accused of seeking Egyptian advantage. He even wrote a letter to his fellow senators urging them to lift the suspension of $300 million in aid to this country. According to prosecutors, Menendez also provided non-public information about military matters to Egyptian officials.
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In an emailed statement, Menendez said: “For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave. “Since this investigation was leaked almost a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign from anonymous sources and innuendo to create an appearance of impropriety where none exists.”
Bob and Nadine Menendez face up to 45 years in prison, although any sentence would ultimately be determined by a judge and would likely be less, Portal said.
For his part, David Schertler, a lawyer for Menendez’s wife, said that she “denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these allegations in court.” According to the US Senate Historical Office, Menendez is the first senator in United States history to carries out an exercise. Two criminal offenses are being charged that have nothing to do with each other.
In 2015, he was charged with 14 felonies related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish gifts and campaign contributions he allegedly received from Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist. The 2017 trial on these allegations ended in a stalemate among the jury.
Menendez, a Cuban-American, is serving his third term and said he plans to seek re-election next year. The White House did not comment on the case.
With Portal, AP, EFE