Democrat New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was charged by federal prosecutors with obstruction of justice in yet another superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday relating to a multi-year alleged bribery scheme involving the Egypt and Qatar governments.
The 18-page indictment is wrapped into Menendez’s existing charges already against him and his co-defendants — including his wife Nadine — for allegedly acting as a foreign agent and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes to benefit the Egyptian government through his power and influence as a senator.
The indictment comes after co-defendant Jose Uribe accepted a plea deal and agreed to cooperate last week. The charges on Tuesday also alleged Menendez committed conspiracy, bribery, acting as a foreign agent, extortion and wire fraud.
DEMOCRAT SEN BOB MENENDEZ FACING INDICTMENT ON BRIBERY CHARGES
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive to the federal courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)
Prosecutors also claim in the new indictment that Menendez instructed his lawyers to inform the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in 2022 about his awareness of businessman Wael Hana issuing a payment exceeding $23,000 for Nadine’s home mortgage, and the money Uribe contributed for her new luxury vehicle.
Additionally, Menendez allegedly advised his attorneys to disclose to the prosecuting office that he later discovered the funds were actually loans, when, “In truth and in fact, and as Menendez well knew,” that the mortgage and car payments were made prior to 2022, “and they were not loans, but bribe payments,” prosecutors wrote in Tuesday’s indictment.
Menendez is also accused of accepting bribes and gifts in exchange for helping to benefit Qatar as part of a corruption scheme from 2021 through 2023.
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Menendez, along with his wife Nadine and three other New Jersey businessmen – Hana, Uribe and Fred Daibes – were first charged in the federal bribery scheme on Sept. 23. Hana, Daibes, Nadine and Menendez have pleaded not guilty.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Menendez’s office for comment.
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