Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is once again facing the threat of charges from the DOJ. The criminal probe involves allegations that Menendez’s wife was showered with extremely expensive gifts by a food producer that would later receive an exclusive Egyptian contract to certify halal food exports.
According to the report, the final steps are being taken toward a prosecutorial decision, including upcoming meetings with Menendez’s lawyers.
The U.S. Department of Justice is weighing potential charges against Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., following a yearslong federal criminal probe into his dealings with foreign regulators, according to a new report.
Detailed by people familiar with the matter, prosecutors are likely to meet with the senator’s lawyers in the coming weeks ahead of a final decision, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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The probe, which involves several federal organizations, investigated lavish gifts Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian, allegedly received from a New Jersey food producer that obtained an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government to certify halal food exports across the globe.
The investigation centers on whether Menendez used his power on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which controls aid given to Egypt, as a way to influence the deal. The senator held a meeting with Egyptian officials and the owner of the food producer.
In other words, there’s a lot of unexplained smoke between Menendez’s office and the deal. Why would he have hosted the two sides of the deal if he had nothing to do with it? And why would his wife receive pricey gifts from the food producer if there was no involvement? Those are questions prosecutors may have already answered, though no final charging decision has been made.
It is notable this entire probe only took a year despite involving a U.S. Senator and a foreign government. That stands in stark contrast to the five-year-long investigation into Hunter Biden. People will make of that what they will.
Will Menendez actually be charged? He’s been in this position before and escaped. During the Obama administration, the senator was accused of underage prostitution while he was accused of bribery during the Trump administration. Will the DOJ decide not to move forward again? The answer should be arriving soon.
