In what is probably not a surprise to New Jersey political insiders, a federal grand jury in New York just indicted Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian. The indictment charges them with having a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen -- Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daides. Via ABC News:
The investigation focused on a luxury car, gold bars and an apartment allegedly received by Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian. His wife was also indicted.
The indictment charges Menendez, 69, and his wife with having a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen -- Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daides.
The indictment accuses Menendez and his wife of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using the senator's power and influence to seek to protect and enrich the businessman.
"Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value," the indictment said.
Geeze, that's greedy. He should have been a Republican, he could run for president!
In June 2022, federal agents searched Menendez's New Jersey home and found "fruits" of the pair's "corrupt bribery agreement" with the three businessmen, according to the indictment. Investigators found over $480,000 in cash, some stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing, as well as $70,000 in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box.
The indictment says the payoffs were bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s "power and influence as Senator” to benefit the men and the Egyptian government. Probably something to do with his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee.