What's in the Senator Robert Menendez indictment? Gold bars and stacks of cash

Published  23-09-2023

Federal agents recently searched the home of a US senator, Robert Menendez. They discovered a significant amount of gold, more than $480,000 in hidden cash, and other valuable items, as revealed in an indictment unsealed on Friday.

Robert Menendez and his wife are accused of taking part in a bribery scheme to secretly assist the Egyptian government. The indictment includes three charges against the couple and also accuses three New Jersey businessmen of paying the bribes. Both Mr. and Mrs. Menendez have denied these allegations.

Who is Robert Menendez?

Robert Menendez has been the US senator for New Jersey since 2006. He held a prominent position as the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the last five years. This role allowed him to influence US foreign policy, especially concerning countries like Russia, China, and the Middle East. Additionally, he has been active on immigration issues. He is 69 years old and the child of Cuban immigrants.
What's in the Senator Robert Menendez indictment? Gold bars and stacks of cash
This isn't the first time Menendez has faced criminal charges. In 2015, he was indicted in New Jersey on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of bribery. These charges stemmed from allegations that he received luxurious vacations from a wealthy Florida eye doctor. However, the trial ended in a mistrial when jurors couldn't reach a unanimous verdict.

Who is his wife, Nadine Menendez?

Robert Menendez divorced his first wife, Jane, in 2005, and he married Nadine Arslanian in 2020. The couple met nearly a decade earlier at an IHOP restaurant, and their romantic relationship began in 2018. Menendez proposed to Nadine by singing in front of the Taj Mahal, and they recently celebrated their third wedding anniversary.

According to the Justice Department, Nadine was unemployed before becoming involved with the senator romantically. She had been married before and faced financial challenges following her 2005 divorce. The indictment alleges that one of the co-defendants in the bribery scheme paid $23,000 towards her mortgage in 2019 to help her avoid foreclosure.
What's in the Senator Robert Menendez indictment? Gold bars and stacks of cash

What did the FBI find in the Menendez home?

In June 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at the Menendez's New Jersey residence. They uncovered evidence of a corrupt bribery scheme, including gold bars worth over $100,000, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden in clothes, and nearly $80,000 in a safe deposit box at a local bank. Investigators also found a Google search for the price of a kilo of gold on Mr. Menendez's computer, as well as fingerprints and DNA of one of the co-defendants on an envelope of cash. A luxury Mercedes-Benz, paid for by one of the businessmen, was found in the garage, along with other paid-for home furnishings, including an air purifier and exercise equipment.

Who are the three New Jersey businessmen?

The three co-defendants in the indictment are Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. Hana, a friend of Mrs. Menendez for many years, had close connections with Egyptian officials. He introduced Uribe, a friend and convicted fraudster working in the trucking and insurance business, to the couple in 2018. Daibes, also a friend of Hana, was a long-time fundraiser for Senator Menendez and a real estate developer who founded a New Jersey-based bank. He had previous legal troubles, including charges in 2018 related to obtaining loans under false pretenses from his bank.

What are the charges against the defendants?

Each defendant faces counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Mr. and Mrs. Menendez also face an additional count each: conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right. The government is seeking forfeiture of several assets, including the senator's New Jersey home and the Mercedes-Benz.

Prosecutors allege that Mrs. Menendez worked with Mr. Hana to introduce her husband to Egyptian intelligence and military officials. They had a corrupt agreement in which Mr. Hana arranged and paid for meetings and dinners between the senator and Egyptian officials. Mr. Menendez is accused of ghostwriting a letter on behalf of the Egyptian government to convince other US senators to release $300 million in aid. He is also alleged to have used his influence to benefit Mr. Hana's company in the halal meat certification industry, where Mr. Hana paid bribes to Mr. Menendez. In return, Mrs. Menendez was added to the company's payroll in a low-or-no-show job.

Mr. Daibes allegedly provided financial support for Mr. Hana and made payments in furtherance of the bribery scheme. Mr. Uribe is said to have facilitated payments to Mrs. Menendez, and in exchange, the senator worked to disrupt the prosecution of Uribe's insurance fraud case. Additionally, Mr. Menendez allegedly used his influence to influence the nomination of a US attorney who could affect Mr. Daibes' criminal prosecution for bank fraud. In exchange, he received a Mercedes-Benz convertible paid for by Mr. Hana and Mr. Uribe in connection with halting a state criminal case against one of Uribe's associates. Please Share This News Thankyou..

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