Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, and his wife have been for “bribery offenses in connection with their corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen,” according to the US attorney in New York.
The US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has been investigating Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, over the pair allegedly receiving improper gifts, including cash, gold, home mortgage payments and a luxury vehicle, among other “things of value,” CNBC reported.
The indictment alleges Menendez and his wife accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a Senator” between the years 2018 and 2022.
During a June 2022 raid on the Menendezs’ home, federal agents discovered cash, gold and a “luxury vehicle that were the “fruits of [the couple’s] corrupt bribery agreement” allegedly connected to three businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes.
“Over $480,000 in cash—much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe—was discovered in the home, along with over $70,000 in Nadine Menendez’s safe deposit box,” the indictment stated. “Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of Daibes or his driver.”
Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is up for re-elction next year.
This is the second time in 10 years that Menendez has been charged with a corruption-related offense, according to CNN.
Menendez isn’t the only prominent Democrat facing bribery allegations. Earlier this year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Oversight Republicans released an FD-1023 form showing a confidential informant provided the FBI with details on President Joe Biden’s alleged involvement in a bribery scheme while he was vice president.
The FBI form released by Grassley and the House Oversight Committee contains allegations that have not yet been verified; however, Republican lawmakers say the document provides additional evidence of the Biden family’s corruption.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
