(BrightPress.org) – Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine have been charged with extortion and obstruction of Justice. According to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, Menendez and his wife accepted cash, gold bars, a luxury car, and other favors in exchange for the senator using his influence to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatari. The charges were added to an ongoing case accusing Menendez of acting as an “illegal foreign agent” on behalf of Egypt.
The new charges accuse Menendez and his wife of obstruction of justice for trying to cover up the bribery payments received from several businessmen in New Jersey. Prosecutors claim the couple had their attorneys tell federal investigators that payments on their house and a car were loans instead of money accepted for favors.
The new charges follow a guilty plea from co-defendant Jose Uribe. Uribe admitted to providing a luxury car to Nadine Menendez in exchange for help from the senator. Uribe pleaded guilty to fraud and bribery charges.
In September 2023, prosecutors said investigators discovered gold bars and cash-filled envelopes in jacket pockets inside Menendez’s apartment. Prosecutors also claim that meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials were arranged by Wael Hana. In these meetings, prosecutors believe Menendez was pressured into signing off on military aid. Hana allegedly then placed Nadine Menendez on the payroll of one of his companies. Hana pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Menendez and his wife insist they are innocent of all charges. In a statement on Tuesday, Menendez called the new indictment a “flagrant abuse of power,” insisted the payments were loans, not bribes, and claimed that prosecutors are “afraid of the facts” and will “stop at nothing” to get him.
Menendez temporarily stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the initial charges in September and is under pressure from Senate colleagues to resign, but he continues to resist. Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey said in a statement that the allegations caused New Jersey citizens to “lose faith and trust” in Menendez.
Copyright 2024, BrightPress.org
