US Senator Robert Menendez and his spouse have been indicted on bribery charges, involving the acceptance of substantial gifts, including gold bars, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for safeguarding the interests of three businessmen and influencing the government of Egypt.
During a search of the Menendez residence in New Jersey, FBI special agents uncovered a significant quantity of gold bars supplied by one of the three businessmen, Fred Daibes. US Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York revealed that approximately $500,000 in cash was discovered, some of which was concealed in the senator’s jacket pockets. Furthermore, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle provided by Jose Uribe, another of the businessmen, was found by the FBI.
Menendez, a longstanding Democratic senator from New Jersey and the chair of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, faces three criminal charges alongside his wife: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
This is not the first time Menendez has faced legal troubles; he had previously been charged with accepting private flights, campaign contributions, and other bribes in exchange for official favors, resulting in a hung jury in a 2017 trial.
The federal government is now seeking the forfeiture of assets, including the Menendezes’ New Jersey residence, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz vehicle, roughly $566,000 in cash, gold bars, and funds from a bank account. The businessmen involved in the scheme, Wael Hana, Uribe, and Daibes, have also been charged.
Prosecutors allege that Hana orchestrated meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials in 2018, during which officials pressed Menendez regarding US military aid. In return, Hana placed Menendez’s wife on his company’s payroll. Menendez is also accused of improperly influencing a senior official at the Department of Agriculture to protect a lucrative monopoly awarded by Egypt to Hana, which was used to fund bribes.
The indictment further claims that Menendez abused his power to obstruct a criminal investigation related to an associate and relative of Jose Uribe, one of the businessmen involved.
These developments occurred during a period when Egypt was a major recipient of US military aid, but funds were withheld due to concerns about human rights and democracy. Menendez reportedly shared non-public information with Hana, who then communicated to an Egyptian official that restrictions on small arms and ammunition to Egypt had been lifted.
This case has serious implications for Menendez’s political career and raises concerns about the influence of bribery on government officials and foreign relations.
