'Stuffed Into Envelopes': New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and Wife Indicted on Bribery Charges After Feds Found 'Over $480,000 in Cash' in Home
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted on federal bribery charges in New York.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted on federal bribery charges in New York this week, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
The federal charges are connected to the couple’s allegedly "corrupt relationship" with three businessmen – identified as Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes – to protect and benefit the nation of Egypt.
The federal charges are connected to the couple’s allegedly "corrupt relationship" with three businessmen.
According to CNBC, the indictment alleged that Menendez and his wife accepted "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez's power and influence as Senator" to benefit Hana, Uribe, Daibes, and Egypt between 2018 and 2022.
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-who job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment issued by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court on Friday morning charged.
The indictment also revealed that federal agents found cash, gold, and a luxury vehicle that were the “fruits of [the couple’s] corrupt bribery agreement” during a June 2022 raid on the pair’s New Jersey home.
“Over $480,000 in cash – much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe – was discovered in the home, along with over $70,000 in Nadine Menendez’s safe deposit box,” the indictment read.
The indictment alleged that Menendez and his wife accepted "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez's power and influence as Senator."
“Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of Daibes or his driver,” the charging document added.
Federal agents also reportedly seized 81.5 ounces of gold bars worth approximately $155,000 during the June 2022 raid.
Menendez and his wife were charged with three counts: including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right.
CNBC also reported that Senator Menendez already set up a legal defense fund in anticipation of the federal bribery charges filed against him and his wife on Friday morning.
- More Charges: Senator Bob Menendez and Wife Accused of Acting as Egyptian Agents in New Superseding Indictment
- Senator Bob Menendez Forced to Turn Over His Passport After Pleading Not Guilty to Federal Bribery Charges
- Businessman Accused of Bribing Sen. Bob Menendez's Wife With $60k Mercedes Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case
Federal agents raided Menendez's home in June 2022 in connection to the federal bribery investigation.
The defense fund is reportedly run by Menendez and his longtime campaign treasurer John Palumbo, according to a disclosure filing sent to the IRS earlier this year.
The fund is titled the “Menendez Legal Defense Fund” and the embattled New Jersey senator said the goal of the fund is to help pay “expenses in connection with legal proceedings incurred in connection with service to the U.S. Senate.”
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the federal indictment filed against Menendez on Friday morning in New York is not the first time the senator has been indicted on federal bribery charges.
Menendez was previously charged with 14 criminal counts in 2015 related to lavish gifts and campaign donations he received from a Florida ophthalmologist named Salomon Melgen.
This is not the first time the New Jersey senator has been indicted on federal bribery charges.
The 2015 prosecution against Menendez was dropped after a trial that ended in a hung jury, while Melgen was later convicted of Medicare fraud and sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan announced a press conference scheduled for 11 AM on Friday to discuss the newest indictment against Menendez.
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