Accused Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey surprised his girlfriend (now wife) Nadine Arslanian with a romantic proposal in front of the Taj Mahal in India in 2019, according to a recently surfaced video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The video shows Menendez, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, singing a rendition of “Never Enough” from the movie The Greatest Showman to Arslanian, who is seen sitting on a bench near the iconic monument of love and passion.
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Menendez then gets down on one knee and presents a ring to Arslanian, who accepts his proposal and hugs him.
The couple met at an IHOP in Union City, New Jersey, in 2018 and hit it off right away, according to a New York Times article that featured their love story. They bonded over their shared interests in politics, travel, and music.
{{/usCountry}}The couple met at an IHOP in Union City, New Jersey, in 2018 and hit it off right away, according to a New York Times article that featured their love story. They bonded over their shared interests in politics, travel, and music.
{{/usCountry}}Menendez said he was impressed by Arslanian’s intelligence and beauty, while Arslanian said she was drawn to Menendez’s passion and humour.
“We were introduced by the owner of the IHOP, and I didn’t know at that time that Bob was a senator,” she said.
“He was very intelligent and had a great sense of humor, and he was very, very hot.”
However, their fairy tale romance has been overshadowed by a corruption scandal that has landed them both in legal trouble.
On Friday, federal prosecutors charged Menendez and Arslanian with taking bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government in exchange for using Menendez’s influence to export illegal halal meat to Egypt from U.S. and in other endeavors.
Prosecutors said they found $480,000 in cash and $100,000 in gold bars hidden in their home, as well as a 2019 Mercedes-Benz parked in their garage. They also accused Menendez of hosting meetings between Egyptian officials and Arslanian, who acted as his “consultant” on foreign affairs.
Menendez and Arslanian have denied the charges and said they are innocent.
The Senator said that the prosecutors had mischaracterized his normal work as a senator and accused them of trying to silence his voice.
Arslanian’s lawyer said she denies any criminal conduct and will fight the charges in court.