Who is Bob Menendez? Charged senator who 'exported' illegal halal meat to Egypt
New Jersey Democratic senator Bob Menendez and his wife have been charged with corruption by the Department of Justice for the second time in ten years.
Bob Menendez a New Jersey Democratic senator has been charged with corruption alongside his wife, Nadine Menendez by the Department of Justice. The duo conspired to commit bribery, honest services fraud and to commit extortion under the hood of official rights.
According to a statement made by a US attorney in New York, Bob and Nadine were "in a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen- Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes."
The couple have been indicted and charged with corruption for the second time in ten years.
In a news release, the prosecutors claimed they "allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to seek to protect and enrich Hana, Uribe, and Daibes and benefit the Government of Egypt."
Bob Menendez's professional career
Bob Menendez born on January 1, 1954, is an American lawyer and politician. He has been serving as the senior United States Senator from New Jersey since he first obtained the position in 2006.
A Democratic Party member, he has been the chairman of the United States Committee on Foreign Relations from 2013 to 2015 and again since the year 2021.
Interestingly, since his appointment in the position, Egypt has been one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid. More than $1 billion per year of grants have been provided by the U.S. between 2018 and 2022 in military financing and military sales.
Along with these positions, Bob has held office at Union City School District's Board of Education, been a mayor of Union City, and won a seat in the House of Representatives which paved the way for his appointment as a U.S. Senate.
Previous indictment and corruption charges
In 2013, reports surfaced that a grand jury in Miami was investigating Bob's role in advocating the business interest of a Florida-based ophthalmologist, Salomon Melgen.
It was in 2015 that the DOJ indicted Menendez and the doctor with charges of bribery, fraud and making false statements.
In 2018, the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics admonished Bob in a letter:
"The Committee has found that over a six-year period, you knowingly and repeatedly accepted gifts of significant value from Dr. Melgen without obtaining required Committee approval, and that you failed to publicly disclose certain gifts as required by Senate Rule and federal law."
Present indictment and charges
According to the indictment, Bob exerted “substantial influence” over military financing to Egypt.
A total of $480,000 cash stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing was found in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box.
Additionally, $100,000 in gold bars were found at his home, provided by either of the three businessmen he was involved with.
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