Sen. Bob Menendez indicted: What prosecutors are alleging

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has been indicted — once more.

On Friday, prosecutors from the US Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging Menendez, his spouse Nadine, and three businessmen with conspiracy to commit bribery and different corruption crimes.

The attention-popping indictment alleges that the Menendezes accepted “money, gold, funds towards a house mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxurious automobile,” and different bribes in change for Menendez utilizing his senatorial affect to profit the businessmen. Prosecutors say they discovered lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} in money and two gold bars throughout a search of the couple’s house, together with some inside Menendez’s jackets.

US Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York

Menendez is the Senate International Relations Committee chair, and there’s a international relations angle to the indictment. One of many businessmen, Wael Hana, had received a profitable contract from the federal government of Egypt and steadily organized conferences between Egyptian officers and the Menendezes. Prosecutors allege Menendez “offered delicate US authorities info and took different steps that secretly aided the federal government of Egypt,” in change for bribes paid by Hana.

In addition they allege that Menendez referred to as state prosecutors to try to “disrupt” an investigation into one other businessman in change for a automobile. They usually declare Menendez tried to get President Biden to nominate a US Lawyer for New Jersey who would scuttle one more investigation for a donor — in change for “money, furnishings, and gold bars.”

That’s … rather a lot. Now, one catch is that Menendez has crushed an indictment earlier than — prosecutors accused him of bribery and corruption again in 2015, however the jury deadlocked at trial.

This time round, although, the proof seems extra in depth and damning. Prosecutors quote from textual content messages exchanged among the many alleged conspirators, and even web searches by Menendez (together with “how a lot is one kilo of gold value”). They usually spend a substantial amount of time mentioning how particular items or funds occurred instantly earlier than or after Menendez intervened in a means the businessmen wished.

However Menendez sounded defiant in a press release claiming that “for years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly tried to silence my voice and dig my political grave,” and claiming that his enemies “merely can not settle for {that a} first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings may rise to be a US Senator and serve with honor and distinction.”

So Democrats now have an issue on their fingers. Menendez is up for reelection in 2024 and continues to carry a strong Senate put up. Will Democrats strain him to resign? Or will they stand by as he makes an attempt to struggle it out once more?

Bob Menendez’s rise to energy, and his first indictment, defined

The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez rose to energy within the Democratic machine of Hudson County, New Jersey, serving as a mayor after which a member of Congress. Corruption rumors have dogged him since he was first appointed to the US Senate in 2006. When he was working for a full time period that 12 months, phrase leaked that federal prosecutors had been scrutinizing a nonprofit he had helped get hundreds of thousands in federal grant cash — and that had paid him lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} in lease. No fees had been introduced, and Menendez received a full time period.

He rapidly rose by the Democratic ranks within the Senate and have become chair of the influential Senate International Relations Committee in 2013. A normal-issue Democrat on most home points, he was generally a thorn within the Obama administration’s aspect on international coverage, criticizing offers Obama struck with Iran and Cuba. He additionally began dwelling giant, taking lavish journeys and accepting items funded by a marketing campaign donor, rich Florida eye physician Salomon Melgen. This once more drew federal prosecutors’ scrutiny, and in 2015, Menendez received his first indictment on bribery and corruption fees.

However prosecutors’ case bumped into an issue. They introduced ample proof that Menendez used the ability of his workplace to assist Melgen out — he advocated on Melgen’s behalf in a billing dispute he was having with Medicare, and intervened in varied issues pertaining to a cargo screening contract Melgen had with the Dominican Republic. However they wanted to show a quid professional quo — that Menendez was performing “official acts” particularly in return for the items and donations. And protection attorneys argued that they had been simply good pals serving to one another out. Their argument prevailed: In 2017, the prosecution led to a mistrial as a result of a deadlocked jury.

Menendez now appeared vindicated. He quickly regained his former put up as high Democrat on the International Relations Committee (he had stepped again from it whereas his prosecution unfolded). There was no critical Democratic effort to dislodge him; he solely confronted an unknown in his 2018 main, although he received a surprisingly weak 62 p.c of the vote towards her — and he beat his Republican challenger fairly simply within the basic election.

Prosecutors’ explosive new allegations towards Menendez

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos

Additionally in 2018, Menendez began relationship the lady who would quickly change into his second spouse — and alleged associate in crime — Nadine Arslanian. Earlier than Nadine started relationship Menendez, she had “lived a primarily personal life” targeted on elevating two kids fairly than working, and had struggled financially after a divorce, the New York Occasions reported. She was unemployed earlier than relationship Menendez, and confronted foreclosures on her house quickly after — so she wanted cash.

Quickly, the cash — and extra — began rolling in. Prosecutors argue that it did so as a result of Menendez and his spouse made corrupt offers with three businessmen.

1) Wael Hana, his halal enterprise, and the Egyptian authorities

Wael “Will” Hana was a longtime buddy of Nadine’s who had ties to Egyptian authorities officers. Shortly after Nadine started relationship Menendez in 2018, she helped Hana prepare a collection of conferences between Egyptian officers, the senator, and Nadine, typically discussing arms gross sales and assist. Per prosecutors, Hana promised Nadine funds in change for facilitating these conferences and stated he’d give her “a low-or-no-show job” at his firm.

In spring 2019, Hana scored: The Egyptian authorities granted his firm an unique monopoly on certifying that US meals exports to Egypt had been compliant with halal requirements in Islamic regulation, despite the fact that he had no expertise on this enterprise space. Prosecutors don’t say particularly why they consider Hana obtained this contract, however the implication is that his ties to Menendez had been essential. And Nadine sounded excited — per the indictment, she texted Menendez, “Looks like halal went by. It may be a improbable 2019 all the way in which round.”

The US Division of Agriculture appeared askance on the information, believing it could increase prices for US meat suppliers, so a number of officers contacted the Egyptian authorities to object. Menendez then referred to as a high-level division official and demanded they again off. And as soon as cash was rolling in to Hana’s firm, he started paying Nadine — together with paying, by his firm, $23,000 of her mortgage that was being foreclosed on.

Prosecutors declare that, in complete, Hana paid lots of of 1000’s in checks, money, and gold to the Menendezes. In return, they declare, Menendez used his workplace to assist the federal government of Egypt in varied methods, together with by offering private details about US embassy personnel and deliberate adjustments in armed coverage.

2) Jose Uribe’s authorized hassle, and a Mercedes-Benz

Individually, Hana additionally related the Menendezes with Jose Uribe, one other businessman working in trucking and insurance coverage (and who had beforehand been convicted of fraud). Uribe had some associates in authorized hassle, with one already being prosecuted by the New Jersey Lawyer Basic’s workplace and one being investigated by that very same workplace, and he was involved the circumstances may implicate him. Hana informed the senator and Nadine about all this, and shortly afterward, Menendez referred to as the New Jersey lawyer’s workplace, urging them to wrap up the prosecution.

In the meantime, Nadine had gotten right into a automobile accident and wanted a brand new automobile, and texts recommend that Uribe had promised to pay for it. Ultimately, he gave Nadine $15,000 that she used for a down fee on a Mercedez-Benz convertible (after which Nadine texted him, “I’ll always remember this”) and continued to make month-to-month funds on the automobile afterward. Prosecutors argue that this all quantities to Menendez making an attempt “to disrupt New Jersey state felony issues” in change for a automobile.

3) The prosecution of Fred Daibes, two kilos of gold, and a few money

Then there’s Fred Daibes, a longtime fundraiser for Menendez, who had been charged with financial institution fraud by the US Lawyer’s workplace for New Jersey in 2018. With President Biden set to take workplace in 2021, it was time for a brand new US Lawyer. Historically, senators from a state are deeply influential on the US lawyer’s alternative.

Menendez, prosecutors say, badly wished it to be somebody who would go simple on Daibes. He interviewed one candidate, lawyer Philip Sellinger, and urged him to take action. When Sellinger stated he’d in all probability must recuse from the Daibes case, Menendez stated he wouldn’t suggest him for the put up, per the indictment.

Later, a Menendez adviser spoke to Sellinger in regards to the case once more, and the adviser reported again to Menendez that he won’t must recuse in spite of everything. Menendez finally did suggest Sellinger for the put up, and he was confirmed (and did find yourself recusing, to the senator’s frustration).

In October 2021, Menendez and Nadine returned from a international journey, and Daibes’s driver gave them a experience again to their home. The subsequent day, prosecutors say Menendez did an online seek for “how a lot is one kilo of gold value.”

Then, in January 2022, Daibes’s driver referred to as Nadine, and he or she texted Daibes: “Christmas in January.” Shortly afterward, Menendez referred to as the Justice Division official who was overseeing Daibes’s prosecution. (Brokers who later searched Menendez’s house found an envelope full of money with Daibes’s driver’s fingerprints and Daibes’s DNA and return deal with.)

Later that month, Menendez once more searched “kilo of gold value.” He additionally referred to as the DOJ official once more, and referred to as Daibes instantly afterward. In March 2022, Nadine introduced two one-kilogram gold bars (then value $60,000 every) to a jeweler to be bought. The serial numbers on the gold bars, per prosecutors, point out Daibes had beforehand possessed them.

What all of it means

It’s fairly uncommon to get an old school bribery scandal at this degree of nationwide politics as of late.

In fact, there’s countless quantities of “authorized corruption” going round. Politicians frequently do favors to donors who fund their campaigns, since that is authorized so long as there’s no direct quid professional quo. Ex-politicians or officers change into lobbyists in industries they’d overseen. International governments pay Donald Trump’s companies. Hunter Biden rakes in huge bucks for questionable work. Justice Clarence Thomas takes luxurious journeys.

However even in comparison with Menendez’s final indictment — primarily based on his accepting journeys and items in a Clarence Thomas-like means — this appears to be at a brand new degree. Envelopes of money and gold bars for a sitting nationwide politician seem to be one thing out of an earlier period.

And now the query is what Democrats will do about it.

Many within the get together have lengthy averted their eyes from Menendez’s alleged corruption as a result of he was just too highly effective and appeared unattainable to dislodge. And outwardly, he seems defiant once more, pledging to disclaim and struggle out these fees very similar to Trump did.

Most Democrats would absolutely want he resign as a result of if he did so, New Jersey’s Democratic governor would appoint his alternative. However that call is absolutely as much as Menendez. And he’s at present working for reelection in 2024, which makes his seat one other headache for Democrats in what’s already an especially tough Senate 12 months for the get together.

So the time to main Menendez is now — and if Democrats miss this opportunity, they could rue their inaction when Election Day arrives.