Sen. Bob Menendez indicted again for corruption, allegedly had cash stuffed in coat, gold bars
Last edited Fri Sep 22, 2023, 01:17 PM - Edit history (3)
Source: ABC News
September 22, 2023, 1:03 PM
A federal grand jury in New York has returned a sweeping indictment against United States Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, in connection with improper foreign relations and business dealings. 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.
This is the second time New Jersey's senior senator has been charged with corruption. A 2015 indictment ended in a mistrial in 2018 after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges. The previous charges against Menendez centered on his relationship with Florida eye doctor Solomon Melgen, a close ally of the senator. Menendez allegedly accepted gifts from Melgen in exchange for using the power of his senate office to benefit the doctor's financial and personal interests.
Menendez is facing reelection next year and will have to step down as the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rules for the Senate Democratic caucus say that any member who is charged with a felony must step aside from a leadership position. However, according to a person close to Menendez, the senator will not resign.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sen-bob-menendez-indicted-gifts-gold-bars-car/story?id=103407936
Link to indictment (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23989458/united-states-of-america-v-robert-menendez-nadine-menendez-wael-hana-jose-uribe-and-fred-daibes.pdf
Article updated.
Previous articles/headline -
September 22, 2023, 11:10 AM
A federal grand jury in New York has returned a sweeping indictment against United States Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, in connection with improper foreign relations and business dealings. 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. This is the second time New Jersey's senior senator has been charged with corruption. A 2015 indictment ended in a mistrial in 2018 after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges.
The previous charges against Menendez centered on his relationship with Florida eye doctor Solomon Melgen, a close ally of the senator. Menendez allegedly accepted gifts from Melgen in exchange for using the power of his senate office to benefit the doctor's financial and personal interests. 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.
A federal grand jury in New York has returned a sweeping indictment against United States Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee. 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.
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. Also found in the home were over $100,000 worth of gold bars, "provided by either Hana or Daibes," according to the indictment.
Original article -
A federal grand jury in New York has returned an indictment against United States Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee.
The investigation focused on a luxury car, gold bars and an apartment allegedly received by Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
a kennedy
(35,826 posts)calimary
(89,797 posts)yardwork
(69,264 posts)Old fashioned kickbacks and graft. Seems almost quaint. I'm sure they'll throw the book at him because Democrat.
rampartc
(5,835 posts)if he is found guilty will make room for a cleaner dem senator.
Jose Garcia
(3,489 posts)magicarpet
(18,469 posts)..... shaving the Demo count advantage in the Senate just before 2024.
gab13by13
(31,995 posts)he still has to be found guilty. Maybe primary him, not sure when he is up for reelection?
Scruffy1
(3,530 posts)magicarpet
(18,469 posts)They don't give a hoot about due process. They salivate at the opportunity to say ,..
"See,... see ,... the DemocRAT Party is just a bunch of corrupt politicians who can never be trusted."
They will use this as a cudgel to do damage to the Dems in endless negative political ads as we approach 2024.
It is like handing your enemy ammunition to then use against you. A very bad self defeating idea best avoided.
Lochloosa
(16,718 posts)He should drop out of the race. IMO.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)MORE: Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez under federal investigation: Sources
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.
This is the second time New Jerseys senior senator has been charged with corruption. A 2015 case ended in a mistrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges.
sybylla
(8,655 posts)Since he's up for election, he should definitely drop out and focus on defending himself against the charges.
edhopper
(37,287 posts)is resign and let Murphy appoint a Dem that can then run in 2024.
gab13by13
(31,995 posts)edhopper
(37,287 posts)but he could be giving NJ a Republican Senator.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)...especially if Menendez insists on running again.
gab13by13
(31,995 posts)jimfields33
(19,382 posts)Maybe one of the two can win the primary.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)...we'll need someone with more of a track record and funding ability.
jimfields33
(19,382 posts)Hopefully now that this made news, a great candidate could step up.
RandySF
(83,448 posts)ebbie15644
(1,244 posts)and take Thomas with him
magicarpet
(18,469 posts)... making it a nice package deal?
ebbie15644
(1,244 posts)If this case goes to SCOTUS how do they rule? 🙄
Scruffy1
(3,530 posts)I find it hard to believe he hasn't taken some pretty nice personal "gifts" from the uber wealthy esides lodging and transportation. My own very cycnical take is that the main reason for going to those exclusive places is to collect the graft. Very hard to prove since only the uber rich are there. IMHO he should have already een indicted for lieing on his forms, which is a felony.
Traildogbob
(12,961 posts)He needs to use Thomas defense strategy. The GQP will be in this like trump on a 13 year old pageant participant.
RandySF
(83,448 posts)He needs to give up running for reelection.
GreenWave
(12,569 posts)Hotler
(13,747 posts)Irish_Dem
(80,862 posts)This gives Dems the chance to show the public what "justice matters" means, even when it hurts.
BComplex
(9,863 posts)Yes! And they need to rub the Supreme's noses in this stinking pile of shit while it's still hot! Thomas, Alito, and Roberts.
Calista241
(5,633 posts)If he was that concerned about the money, there are ways to obfuscate it where the government can't or will find it harder to prosecute. Taking gold bars and physical gifts is just asking to get caught.
Just go to Vegas and 'win' a couple poker games. Win a couple dozen large hands, lose a couple small and midsize hands, and you got nothing to worry about. Or do what everyone else in Congress does and get some insider trading information that you can convert into profits. Then you can buy your own fucking car and gold bars.
Taraman
(404 posts)Alicia is a top-flight journalist.
Tom Rinaldo
(23,187 posts)Something similar happened regarding Gov. Cuomo in NY, although in that case the concerns were much more substantive than with Franken.
The same should happen now with Menendez. The matter should NOT be left in his hands to decide whether he should step aside or not. A lot of heat has been put on the Republican caucus in the House for allowing Rep. Santos to remain seated in the House while he is now under indictment. Now that shoe is on the other foot. It should be pointed out that this is the SECOND time Menendez has been indicted on similar charges, and that he was NOT Acquitted of the first charges, rather he was not found guilty of them due to a Hung Jury and the decision at that time by the Feds not to retry him on those charges. The current charges are serious and a very dark cloud now hangs over the head of Menandez. He can not effectively represent NJ under these circumstances and it is inconceivable that that cloud will lift any time soon.
Meanwhile Democrats are facing an uphill battle to retain Senate control in 2024 with the number of seats they will have to defend. Senate Majority leader Schumer should call on Menendez to resign. Fellow NJ Senator Booker should call on Menendez to resign. If he fails to resign leading Democrats should unite in recruiting a serious primary challenger to Menendez, and he should be made perfectly clear that he will be challenged by a serious candidate.
Menendez should announce that he is stepping aside, claiming to do so not because he is guilty of any crime (at least until such time as he may decide to accept a plea deal) but so that he can devote himself full time to "clearing" his "good name."
elleng
(141,926 posts)Tom Rinaldo
(23,187 posts)AllyCat
(18,766 posts)Jeez, no way to get honesty in government or, say, our corrupt SC justices with this kind of crap going on.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,604 posts)How stupid can Menendez be to think he could get away with getting gold bars as a bribe??? Shouldn't he resign just for failing to meet the standard of intelligence normally found in chimpanzees?
cstanleytech
(28,414 posts)Question is can they provide evidence of it being fruit of corruption rather than fruit of someone being nutty and not trusting banks? After all there have been people in the past that have done similar things.
hamsterjill
(17,487 posts)We are all out here working our asses off to keep them in power and some old jerk just cant get enough gold. So he puts us ALL at risk.
He should resign immediately and at least do no
further harm.
BumRushDaShow
(168,728 posts)he has been under a cloud for a long time. He was able to scrape by to get re-elected the last time.
Was looking at their (somewhat senior) House delegation and Donald Norcross might be a good one given his union background. Gottheimer might become a Manchin/Sinema. Miki Sherrill's seat was a flip and Andy Kim's is swingy, so they probably need to stay in to hold them.
Happy Hoosier
(9,512 posts)The dude managed to evade a bribery conviction previously. Many of us strongly suspected him of guilt.
But he couldn't help himself. After that close brush with disaster, he just HAD to keep putting his hand out. That's a criminal level of stupid.
republianmushroom
(22,252 posts)And how dumb.
bagimin
(1,693 posts)get rid of him!
Flatrat
(176 posts)If the unlikely happens and the Menendez case gets to SCOTUS, will Thomas and Alito recuse?
onecaliberal
(36,594 posts)onenote
(46,119 posts)BumRushDaShow
(168,728 posts)Will add to the OP.
Marthe48
(23,040 posts)figure out a way to indict the people who are actively working against our government
If Menendez is a crook, by all means, investiagte, try, and punish if appropriate. He's undermining the law with a garden hose.
But nail the bastards who are tucked right into the pockets of the despots who are destroying our government with a power washer.
swag
(26,572 posts)aggiesal
(10,737 posts)honest.abe
(9,238 posts)Appears to be a plethora of evidence including gold bars and money stuffed in envelopes, clothing, etc.. Sounds like an episode from the Sopranos.
He needs to resign ASAP.
tonekat
(2,514 posts)And he's been a bum. And bumism is obviously a family business with him.
Dems need to drop him like he's contaminated and disavow him.
totodeinhere
(13,688 posts)These charges have nothing to do with his being Hispanic. Yet he has the temerity to claim that the prosecutors are going after him because they can't tolerate a successful Hispanic. What a jerk. He should resign and if not he should be primaried by a major Democrat.