(USNewsBreak.com) – To say things aren’t going well for Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) would be an understatement. In June, the FBI raided his home and discovered nearly $500,000 in cash, along with gold bars and a plethora of other luxury items. In September, federal prosecutors indicted him, his wife, and three business associates on numerous charges pertaining to a bribery scheme. The following month, prosecutors added a superseding indictment with an additional charge. Now, there’s a second superseding indictment.
On January 2, prosecutors made public another superseding indictment alleging Menendez participated in the bribery scheme a year longer than initially claimed. The actions reportedly continued into 2023. Further adding to the indictment, federal prosecutors accuse the New Jersey senator of brokering a multi-million dollar deal between Fred Daibes — a defendant in the case — and a Qatari investor. For his part, Menendez reportedly received cash, gold bars, and other gifts.
BREAKING: Sen. Bob Menendez hit with new allegations involving bribes and a Qatari investment dealhttps://t.co/gEzL5JwSoG
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 2, 2024
Federal investigators accuse Menendez and his wife, Nadine, of trying to cover up the scheme by claiming the payments were loans and that they were in the process of paying them back. According to The Washington Post, the indictment doesn’t name the Qatari investment company, but the publication cross-referenced investments and meetings to connect them with Heritage Advisors, a fund based in London with Qatari ties. That company is also registered in New Jersey and has connections to Daibes, a real estate developer.
The senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez, is also reportedly connected to the Qatari allegations. Prosecutors accuse Wael Hana, also a defendant in the case, of offering Mrs. Menendez a no-show job.
Menendez continues to deny the charges against him, saying he never participated in any wrongdoing. He has refused calls to resign from the Senate, though he did relinquish his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His attorneys recently unsuccessfully tried to have his trial, scheduled to start in May, pushed back two months.
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