Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) spent years after his latest unrelated trial openly receiving tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes whereas offering favors to a international authorities and legal defendants in return, federal prosecutors in Manhattan alleged in an indictment launched on Friday.

Prosecutors mentioned Menendez and his spouse, Nadine, acted like an influencer couple within the bribery, receiving a Mercedes-Benz, gold bullion, envelopes of money stuffed right into a jacket embroidered with Menendez’s brand, and a no-show job at a halal meat firm.

In return, Menendez allegedly used his workplace to learn the Egyptian authorities in its pursuit of American weapons amid troubling allegations of human rights abuses, and to strain federal and state prosecutors in New Jersey to be lenient with the senator’s aides.

Menendez issued a press release on Friday addressing subjects at the moment trending amongst accused politicians, noting that the case was politically motivated and introduced by “forces behind the scenes.”

“They see me as an impediment to their broader political objectives,” he mentioned.

Underneath the indictment, Menendez faces one depend of conspiracy to commit bribery, one depend of conspiracy to commit trustworthy providers fraud, and one depend of conspiracy to commit extortion.

It’s the second time Menendez has confronted federal corruption prices. Federal prosecutors in New Jersey Accused Menendez with corruption violations in 2015, though that case led to a mistrial.

Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez and his spouse, Nadine, engaged in a mysterious and “corrupt” relationship with three New Jersey businessmen.

The three males requested for various issues, however, prosecutors say, all of them had one thing in frequent: They allegedly bribed Menendez so he may take official motion on their behalf.

Within the case of Wael Hanna, the Egyptian-born businessman from New Jersey who was allegedly pals with Nadine Menendez earlier than she began courting the senator in 2018, it was largely in regards to the Egyptian authorities.

It’s Hana who allegedly acted as an middleman between Menendez and Egyptian officers, and who allegedly obtained her piece of the pie by a profitable stake within the worldwide meat commerce.

Hanaa, with the assistance of Nadine, allegedly organized a collection of conferences in 2018 with the senator and Egyptian officers. There, Menendez allegedly supplied delicate info, together with the make-up of the U.S. Embassy employees in Cairo and when the U.S. authorities was ready to start promoting small arms to Egypt, to officers by Nadine. Menendez additionally allegedly wrote a letter to different senators to an Egyptian official requesting the discharge of $300 million in help.

In alternate for his alleged non-kosher deal, Hanna needed to supply the meat by his personal New Jersey-based halal import firm.

Prosecutors say Hana initially promised Nadine to pay for the above providers by a no-show job at his halal import firm. However after Hanna did not make halal funds to Nadine amid a money crunch on the firm, prosecutors say the take care of the Menendez household was in jeopardy.

On the time, in early 2019, the Egyptian authorities granted Hanaa what prosecutors described as a “profitable monopoly” on exporting halal meals to the USA. Prosecutors mentioned that Nadine despatched a textual content message to the senator saying: “It appears that evidently the legislation has handed. Might 2019 be a beautiful 12 months on all ranges.”

The monopolistic deal allegedly benefited Nadine, who started receiving funds through the no-show operate. However the indictment states that the Egyptian monopoly was massive sufficient to trigger greater prices for American meat suppliers and to trigger panic within the USDA, which allegedly contacted Cairo in regards to the monopoly grant and moved to arrange a report on the “disruption.” That the monopoly was inflicting American meat costs to rise.

In Might 2019, after what prosecutors famous was a dinner at a steakhouse within the capital with Hana and an unnamed Egyptian intelligence official, Menendez allegedly requested a high-ranking USDA official to cease opposing Hana’s monopoly on halal meat.

Prosecutors say the fundamental relationship between Menendez, Hana, and Egyptian officers continued into 2021: Hana would pay in varied types, together with gold bullion, and the senator would act in varied methods to learn Cairo.

However throughout that interval, two different New Jersey businessmen allegedly entered the image: a Menendez actual property developer and fundraiser named Fred Dibbs, and Jose Uribe, a former insurance coverage dealer.

The allegations listed below are comically corrupt, with prosecutors naming one part:

“Menendez agrees to disrupt legal issues in New Jersey in alternate for a Mercedes-Benz convertible.”

The automobile allegedly value $60,000, and in alternate, Menendez tried to forestall the state prosecution of considered one of Uribe’s associates for insurance coverage fraud. Prosecutors say Uribe was concerned within the scheme.

Round that point, in December 2018, Nadine Menendez was left with no automobile after an accident. She wanted a automobile, and Uribe wanted to complete the state’s legal investigation.

So, prosecutors say, the senator contacted a New Jersey legislation enforcement official requesting that “by recommendation and strain” the case be resolved “in favor of the defendant.” That try failed, however Nadine, who despatched a textual content message to the senator in regards to the case after talking with Uribe’s pal Wael Hanna, obtained the automobile.

After Uribe helped facilitate the acquisition, he texted Nadine: “Are you cheerful?” “I’ll always remember this,” she replied.

The senator allegedly continued to attempt to hinder New Jersey’s investigation. Prosecutors say Uribe stored texting Nadine that he wanted “peace,” whereas Menendez himself met with Uribe and, individually, with the identical New Jersey legislation enforcement official in an try to resolve the case.

It’s not clear whether or not Menendez’s efforts have been profitable on the state degree, though the group had a “celebratory dinner” collectively the place they “drank toasts with a bottle of champagne.” Uribe allegedly continued sending funds for the Mercedes-Benz till federal brokers approached him and Menendezes in 2022.

A kilo of gold

A number of the most stunning allegations within the indictment contain the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of New Jersey.

This was the workplace that, in cooperation with the Justice Division’s Public Integrity Part, introduced the 2015 case towards Menendez. That trial led to a mistrial, and President Trump’s Justice Division declined to retry the case in 2018.

Biden’s election in 2020 meant there could be a brand new high federal prosecutor in Menendez’s house state. Prosecutors say within the indictment that Menendez took discover and tried to exert his affect to nominate a versatile individual. Particularly, Menendez wished to place an finish to the prosecution of Farid Daibes, an actual property developer who had been hanging out with Wael Hanna and who had raised cash for Menendez’s marketing campaign.

Daibes was going through federal conspiracy prices that have been first filed in 2018.

Daibes allegedly bribed Menendez and his spouse with gold bullion, envelopes of money, and a chair for Menendez himself in order that the senator would attempt to get the trial overturned.

In December 2020, prosecutors say, Menendez met with one possibility for U.S. Legal professional for the District of New Jersey, who was nominated and later confirmed. Menendez raised the difficulty of Daibes through the assembly, and mentioned he hoped the potential nominee would “look into the matter.”

The would-be nominee then allegedly instructed Menendez that he would seemingly recuse himself from Deaibs’ case, if confirmed, due to a case he had labored on involving Deaibas whereas working in non-public observe. Menendez allegedly responded that he wouldn’t advocate the potential nominee to the White Home, and would go along with another person.

Menendez as a substitute really useful somebody who, prosecutors say, Debes believed could be “compassionate,” however the White Home chosen the seemingly main candidate.

Prosecutors mentioned Daibes was feeding gold bullion and different advantages to the Menendez household all alongside. At one level, Menendez himself allegedly searched “how a lot is 1 kilo of gold price” on-line, whereas Nadine offered two gold bars to a jeweler.

An unnamed “adviser” satisfied Menendez that the first nominee won’t need to recuse himself from the Debis case, after which really useful Menendez for the White Home.

However then, prosecutors wrote, Justice Division officers “eliminated” New Jersey’s federal prosecutor from the case. Menendez allegedly requested the unnamed “counsel” to ask him why this occurred, and spoke instantly with the deputy district lawyer, who took cost of the case.

Prosecutors write that Menendez’s communications by no means reached the prosecution staff itself. Daibes pleaded responsible final 12 months.

Learn the indictment right here: