(TheProudRepublic.com) – BREAKING NOW: U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is now criminally charged with representing Egypt as a foreign agent. This comes shortly after the senator from New Jersey was charged federally for allegedly taking lavish bribes to leverage his political sway.
The indictment filed today alleges that between January 2018 and June 2022, Menendez purportedly collaborated with his spouse, Nadine Arslanian, and a businessman from New Jersey, Wael “Will” Hana, to serve as a representative of the Egyptian state.
The indictment states, “Among other actions, Menendez provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.”
Being a part of Congress, the law forbids Menendez from serving or even consenting to serve as a foreign agent, even if registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This act mandates anyone functioning in the U.S. as a representative of a foreign entity to officially register with the U.S. attorney general. Its intent is to obstruct hidden manipulation by foreign nations. According to the indictment, neither Nadine Arslanian nor Hana were recorded under this act.
Between 2020 and 2022, Menendez reportedly asked the Justice Department to probe others for non-compliance with FARA, pointing out an anonymous former congressional member.
Regarding the former congressman, Menendez penned in a 2020 letter to the DOJ, “The Act is clear that acting directly or indirectly in any capacity on behalf of a foreign principal triggers the requirement to register under FARA,” as cited in the indictment. Moreover, in a 2022 letter, the indictment states Menendez emphasized, “it is imperative that the Justice Department ensure he is held to account.”
Menendez has denied three separate federal accusations of receiving opulent bribes to promote the interests of Hana and two more businessmen from New Jersey and to favor the Egyptian administration. The indictment elaborates that these bribes consisted of diverse forms of compensation, including “cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other things of value.”
Additionally, his wife Nadine pleaded not guilty against three other accusations, suggesting that the couple engaged in an unethical partnership with the businessmen, allegedly procuring “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to capitalize on Menendez’s political clout.
Despite these serious allegations, Menendez has staunchly contested them, deeming them unfounded. He has resisted calls to resign from Congress, even with pushback from his fellow Senate Democrats. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a close associate of Menendez, expressed his belief last month that Menendez’s decision to stay in Congress was ill-advised.
Complying with the rules of the Senate Democrats’ caucus, Menendez resigned from his position as the head of the Foreign Relations Committee.
According to the indictment, while holding this influential post, Menendez allegedly used his authority to favor both the businessmen and the Egyptian authorities. In one instance, he sought specific information from the State Department, which, while not classified, was deemed very confidential, regarding individuals stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. He then allegedly relayed this information to his then-partner, Nadine Arslanian. This information was supposedly shared with Hana, who is believed to have communicated it to an official of the Egyptian government.
The indictment also accuses Menendez of attempting to interfere with a legal inquiry concerning Jose Uribe, another businessman, and influencing the legal proceedings against Fred Daibes, a third businessman.
In a previous case, Menendez was charged with corruption in 2015 for allegedly accepting gifts and travels from a benefactor. However, in 2018, these charges were dismissed when a jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS ALERT FROM THE PROUD REPUBLIC.
