Witness in Menendez trial describes setting up mortgage payment and consulting job for senator’s girlfriend-turned-wife
CNN
Sen. Bob Menendez’s alleged co-conspirator in a yearslong extortion and bribery scheme ordered his legal counsel to set up a mortgage loan for the New Jersey Democrat’s then-girlfriend and to draft a job contract for her despite her lack of experience, a witness in the federal corruption trial testified this week.
Sen. Bob Menendez’s alleged co-conspirator in a yearslong extortion and bribery scheme ordered his legal counsel to set up a mortgage loan for the New Jersey Democrat’s then-girlfriend and to draft a job contract for her despite her lack of experience, a witness in the federal corruption trial testified this week. Federal prosecutors have begun to lay the foundation for their case against Menendez and his two co-defendants in a New York courtroom. As of early Tuesday afternoon, they had called four witnesses – an FBI special agent, a US diplomat, a former State Department employee and the lead counsel for the halal certification company owned by Wael Hana, one of Menendez’s’ co-defendants. Some of the witnesses have testified about a halal industry scheme in which Menendez and Hana, an Egyptian American businessman, allegedly acted as foreign agents for the Egyptian government. It’s one of several accusations in the sprawling case that also involves the government of Qatar, gold bars and cash seized from the senator’s home, and allegations that he and his girlfriend-turned-wife took bribes in exchange for the senator’s influence. Menendez and Hana – as well as the other co-defendant, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes – have pleaded not guilty. Menendez’s wife, Nadine, has also pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial in July. John Moldovan, the lead counsel for Hana’s certification business IS EG Halal, testified that Hana ordered him to wire Nadine Menendez a loan to pay the outstanding debt on her home, which was at risk of foreclosure. In July 2019, Hana wired Moldovan money from IS EG’s account to Moldovan’s personal account and ordered him to issue checks to Nadine Menendez, the lead counsel testified.
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