U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, wife indicted on bribe charges as probe finds $100K in gold bars, prosecutors say
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U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife were indicted Friday on bribery charges after an investigation that turned up US$100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash at their home, prosecutors said.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife were indicted Friday on charges that they took bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car for a range of corrupt acts, including having the Democrat use his influence over foreign affairs to benefit the authoritarian government of Egypt.
The sweeping indictment alleges that Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, provided sensitive and non-public U.S. government information to Egyptian government officials and took other steps to secretly help Egypt, including ghost-writing a letter on behalf of Egypt pushing other senators to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to the country. Authorities also allege the senator sought to derail a criminal investigation into an associate by pushing for a U.S. attorney nominee he believed could be influenced.
A search of the couple's home turned up US$100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash, said prosecutors, who announced the charges against the 69-year-old Democrat nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury.
The latest indictment is unrelated to the earlier charges that alleged Menendez accepted lavish gifts to pressure government officials on behalf of a Florida doctor.
Menendez in an emailed statement accused prosecutors of misrepresenting "the normal work of a Congressional office" and writing "these charges as they wanted."
"For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave," Menendez said. "Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists."
Menendez says he has been falsely accused of accepting bribes but "will not be distracted" from work in the Senate.
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