The US Division of Justice (DOJ) filed a brand new superseding indictment Tuesday towards Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his spouse Nadine Menendez. The superseding indictment added new obstruction of justice expenses towards the couple within the ongoing case for bribery, trustworthy providers wire fraud, extortion and appearing as an unregistered overseas agent of Egypt.
The brand new expenses for conspiracy to commit obstruction and obstruction of justice stem from the Menendezs’ alleged actions to impede a prison bribery investigation towards Jose Uribe, who pleaded responsible to bribery expenses final week, and Nadine Menendez. In line with the indictment, Uribe bought a luxurious automobile for Nadine Menendez, and the 2 conspired to assert that Uribe’s funds on the automobile had been a mortgage and never a bribe. The indictment went on to allege that Bob Menendez then advised his attorneys to inform investigators that he didn’t learn about a separate incident whereby a New Jersey businessman made a big mortgage fee on behalf of Nadine Menendez. The indictment additionally alleged that Nadine Menendez lied to investigators, claiming the mortgage fee was a mortgage.
In an announcement to the Related Press (AP), Bob Menendez asserted his innocence, claiming, “I’m harmless and can show it regardless of what number of expenses they proceed to pile on.” He went on to argue that prosecutors have “lengthy recognized that I discovered of and helped repay loans—not bribes—that had been offered to my spouse.”
In the course of the Democratic occasion management’s weekly press convention following the weekly caucus lunch, Senate Majority Chief Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), when requested by the press concerning the latest expenses, acknowledged, “Look, the underside line is I’ve mentioned the Senate has sure requirements that we should dwell as much as. I’m very dissatisfied that Senator Menendez has not lived as much as these requirements.” When requested why Bob Menendez had not been faraway from his positions on the Finance, Banking and International Relations Committees, Schumer repeated his assertion.
In September 2023, Bob Menendez was initially charged with receiving greater than $500,000 in money, $100,000 price of gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz luxurious automobile and a $23,000 mortgage fee as a part of a number of bribery schemes. The preliminary indictment additionally alleged that Nadine Menendez was supplied a “low-to-no-show job” by an Egyptian-American businessman whereas she was relationship the senator and that Bob Menendez then met with a number of Egyptian authorities officers, obtained “private” data for the Egyptian authorities and used his place to facilitate army support for Egypt. Then, in October 2023, the DOJ formally indicted Bob Menendez for appearing as a overseas agent of the Egyptian authorities. Bob Menendez pleaded not responsible to appearing as a overseas agent of the Egyptian authorities and filed a movement to dismiss these expenses.
This isn’t the primary time Bob Menendez has come underneath scrutiny for allegations of corruption. In 2015, Bob Menendez was charged with accepting roughly $1 million in presents and marketing campaign contributions from his pal, Dr. Salomon Melgen, in alternate for pulling strings in a lawsuit towards Melgen for $8.9 million of Medicare overbilling and serving to Melgen’s girlfriends receive their visas. In 2016, he appealed the fees, however the US Courtroom of Appeals for the Third Circuit refused to dismiss them. He then tried to attraction to the Supreme Courtroom however was denied assessment. Nevertheless, the district courtroom decide finally declared a mistrial within the case after the jury deadlocked. Then, in 2018, a district courtroom decide acquitted Bob Menendez of seven of the 18 whole expenses, with the DOJ finally dropping the remaining.
Bob and Nadine Menendez at the moment are dealing with a complete of 18 prison expenses.