Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey indicted on federal bribery charges (ETA: FARA charges added)

[Ana the Ist]

I don't know why everyone is all worked up over this. These are clearly just loans. He should work with Hunter on securing more overseas work now that Hunter has been cleared. Well declared cleared...I haven't heard of any investigation into the bribes.

 

[iluvatar5150]

... this just in... Menendez is still in the Senate. If only he was a Republican... sigh

He’d have a bunch of colleagues and voters making excuses for him?

 

[Ana the Ist]

He’d have a bunch of colleagues and voters making excuses for him?

Meet George Santos....

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/01/1215899764/george-santos-expulsion-house

 

[RoBo1988]

He’d have a bunch of colleagues and voters making excuses for him?

George Santos has entered the chat...

 

[essentialsaltes]

Sen. Bob Menendez hit with new conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges​

Among the new charges in the superseding indictment are conspiracy, obstruction of justice, public official acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.

___________...bribed....___________...for..._________ .
proper name.................proper name...........official act

Wael Hana

Bob Menendez

use of his official authority and influence to attempt to cause, through advice and pressure, the USDA to act favorably toward a business monopoly granted by the Government of Egypt to HANA, and to take other actions that benefited the Government of Egypt, including with respect to U.S. military aid.

 

[essentialsaltes]

He's not resigning [yet] but he's not coming back.

Sen Bob Menendez will not seek re-election in November after obstruction of justice charge: report​

Menendez was forced to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall​

 

[RoBo1988]

He's not resigning [yet] but he's not coming back.

Sen Bob Menendez will not seek re-election in November after obstruction of justice charge: report​

Menendez was forced to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall​

Not the first time he's been in trouble. I'm sure the swamp will give "the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey" a heroes send off

Senator Menendez was indicted once before. Here's a history of his legal woes

The prior indictment came a decade ago. Menendez has long been a target of prosecutors but has never been convicted of a crime.

www.northjersey.com

 

[essentialsaltes]

Not the first time he's been in trouble.

Yes, that's in the OP.

 

[RoBo1988]

So, in terms of corruption:
George Santos > Bob Menendez

 

[DaisyDay]

So, in terms of corruption:
George Santos > Bob Menendez

Point?

 

[RoBo1988]

Point?

I guess Santos hadn't applied for his lifetime swamp membership card yet. His bad.

 

[DaisyDay]

I guess Santos hadn't applied for his lifetime swamp membership card yet. His bad.

He applied and was rejected,

 

[essentialsaltes]

Rep. Andy Kim announces he’ll run against NJ Sen. Bob Menendez in wake of his indictment​

“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said ‘I am not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity,” Kim posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Sen. Bob Menendez has enough signatures to run as an independent despite his bribery trial​

Menendez needs 800 signatures by June 4 to gain ballot access in November and hopes to reach closer to 10,000 signatures by that date, according to three sources with knowledge of his plans.

If successful, Menendez would likely face off against New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim — who is considered to be the front-runner in the race to replace him — and a Republican. The primary, in which Kim will face Patricia Campos-Medina and several Republicans will face off for their party’s nomination, is June 4.

 

[RoBo1988]

"NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity,”

That ship already sailed. It doesn't seem that N.J. really deserves better.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Star witness Jose Uribe testifies about bribing Sen. Bob Menendez​

A New Jersey trucking and insurance executive testified Friday that he bribed Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), offering a Mercedes-Benz convertible to the lawmaker’s then-girlfriend on the condition that Menendez “stop and kill” all criminal investigations into his business and close associates.

Jose Uribe, the prosecution’s star witness in Menendez’s corruption trial in Manhattan, pleaded guilty this year to a bribery conspiracy and other charges.

Former New Jersey attorney general Gurbir S. Grewal testified Thursday that the senator approached him twice in 2019 to talk about an open criminal case, claiming it raised questions about the treatment of Hispanic truckers compared with non-Hispanics. Grewal said he immediately cut off Menendez on both occasions and did not intervene in any such case.

Prosecutors say that was the same matter keeping Uribe up at night, one he was desperate to resolve. Insurance fraud prosecutors were looking into a trucking company owned by a close associate of Uribe’s, Elvis Parra, and a raft of subpoenas and inquiries from a detective suggested that investigators would soon arrive at Uribe’s door, he testified.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Five memorable moments in the corruption trial of Bob Menendez ​

As the prosecution wraps up its case against the senator, these moments are sure to stick in jurors’ minds: A steakhouse stakeout. A little bell. And more.

[FBI Agent] Aristotelis Kougemitros brought some of the ingots and stacks of cash found in several rooms. Jurors got to feel the weight of the gold as they passed around the bars. Kougemitros donned dark gloves and opened a drawstring bag stuffed with $100,000, slowly displaying it as if it were a game-show prize.

The FBI found so much money stuffed in jackets, boxes, bags, envelopes and a boot — more than $486,000, all told — that reinforcements had to be called in, Kougemitros testified. Two more agents soon arrived with cash-counting machines, he said.

--

Prosecutors contend that the Egyptians were rewarding IS EG Halal’s owner, Wael “Will” Hana, with a monopoly [on certifying US beef exports to Egypt] in exchange for his access to Menendez and the lawmaker’s help securing U.S. military aid despite congressional concerns over Egypt’s human rights record.

[USDA was concerned about the monopoly and the disruption to US exports.]

“I will never forget the words — ‘Stop interfering with my constituent,’” [USDA official] McKinney testified Menendez said.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Jury's deliberating.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Jury's deliberating.

Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts, including acting as foreign agent, in federal corruption trial​

Federal prosecutors in New York alleged the New Jersey Democrat accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, mortgage payments and more in exchange for the senator's political clout. Three New Jersey businessmen who were also charged, along with the governments of Egypt and Qatar, were the alleged recipients. Two of those co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted of all counts they faced.

Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for his resignation immediately after the verdict.

"In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," he said.

Sen. Cory Booker, Menendez's New Jersey counterpart, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined in the calls for his immediate resignation. If the senator refuses to vacate his office, Murphy said he will call on the U.S. Senate to expel him.

 

[Pommer]

Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts, including acting as foreign agent, in federal corruption trial​

Federal prosecutors in New York alleged the New Jersey Democrat accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, mortgage payments and more in exchange for the senator's political clout. Three New Jersey businessmen who were also charged, along with the governments of Egypt and Qatar, were the alleged recipients. Two of those co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted of all counts they faced.

Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for his resignation immediately after the verdict.

"In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," he said.

Sen. Cory Booker, Menendez's New Jersey counterpart, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined in the calls for his immediate resignation. If the senator refuses to vacate his office, Murphy said he will call on the U.S. Senate to expel him.

One wonders where all of our “weaponization of the legal system” friends got off to?

 

[Belk]

One wonders where all of our “weaponization of the legal system” friends got off to?

They are busy yelling about how calling people names inspires gunmen and ignoring the irony of the claims.