Politics & Government
New Menendez Indictment Charges Senator And Wife With 18 More Counts
Sen. Robert Menendez and his wife have now been charged with obstruction of justice and another new charge, court documents say.
NEW JERSEY — Sen. Robert Menendez, already fighting a September indictment for allegedly accepting bribes — including cash, gold, and a Mercedes Benz convertible — will now face additional charges, according to an indictment unsealed on Tuesday.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, are being additionally charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy, according to court documents.
The new documents detail several alleged bribery schemes, and accuse Menendez of having recommended a U.S. attorney candidate to the president whom Menendez believed would be favorable to a business associate.
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New Indictment
Investigators famously found gold bars and cash in the Menendez' closet during a 2019 search of the couple's home, according to federal prosecutors, who allege the items were part of a bribe.
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The couple were indicted on Sept. 22, 2023 for allegedly accepting bribes from at least three business contacts. Two of those contacts, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, are named in the new indictment released March 5:
The letter with the new indictment indicates that the couple will still face trial on Monday, May 6.
The Dinner Party
When the charges initially surfaced, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, "The Indictment alleges that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes from [Wael] Hana, [Fernando] Uribe, and [Fred] Daibes in exchange for Menendez’s agreement to use his official position to protect and enrich them and to benefit the Government of Egypt."
The new indictment details several dinners the couple had with Egyptian officials, including in Edgewater, N.J. Court documents include photos from at least two dinners.
The indictment also accuses Menendez of making recommendations to President Joe Biden about candidates for U.S. attorney in New Jersey, based on how they'd treat a case involving Menendez's business associate, Fred Daibes.
Menendez and his wife are currently free on bail. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Read prior reporting here:
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