Further allegations against Menendez
US senator is said to have accepted bribes from Qatar
January 3, 2024, 7:41 a.m
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In September, Robert Menendez was charged with bribery. The US senator is said to have accepted money from Egypt and favored military and intelligence officials. But money is also said to have flowed from another country – to secure investments for a businessman.
US Senator Robert “Bob” Menendez, who has been accused of bribery for months, is said to have campaigned for Qatar in exchange for bribes. As the federal prosecutor’s office in New York announced on Tuesday (local time), Menendez, who was already charged in September with alleged bribery from Egypt, is now additionally accused of having helped a businessman, in return for a bribe, to secure investments worth millions from a fund linked to the Gulf Emirate to back up.
Accordingly, Menendez, now 70, and his wife are said to have accepted and received “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes,” including gold bars, large amounts of money and other valuables. In return, he is said to have behaved in a way that was “beneficial” to Qatar, the indictment continued. Menendez is said to have introduced the US businessman to a member of the Qatari ruling family, who also headed the investment fund in question.
While the Qatar-linked fund was considering investing in the businessman’s real estate project in the US state of New Jersey, investigators said Menendez made “numerous public statements” in favor of the Qatari government. The businessman involved in the case is also charged and has pleaded not guilty in the case. The trial was scheduled to begin on May 6th.
Menendez was first indicted on corruption charges in September. He has been accused for months of having worked as an unregistered “foreign agent” for Egypt in exchange for bribes and of having, among other things, favored Egyptian military and secret service representatives.
Gold bars, money, luxury car
The influential chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is said to have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen between 2018 and 2022 for his work on behalf of Egypt. During a search of his home, investigators found $480,000 (more than 450,000 euros) in cash, gold bars worth more than $100,000 and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, according to the indictment.
In return for the payments, Menendez is said to have advocated for the interests of the businessmen – including a US-Egyptian businessman – and the Egyptian government. President Joe Biden’s party colleague has rejected the allegations and pleaded not guilty in court. If convicted, he would face a long prison sentence.
Menendez has so far refused calls from his own ranks to resign; However, the Democrat is giving up his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Along with Menendez, his wife was also charged.