Staff Reports
Nadine Menendez, the spouse of Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, entered a not-guilty plea on the charges of conspiring with her spouse and an additional individual to function as Egyptian government agents. This development came as a complete surprise. A larger investigation into extortion and unregistered foreign agent activities includes this case. Senator Menendez is charged in the revised superseding indictment with violating a statute that forbids congressional representatives from acting on behalf of a foreign country.
New Jersey Senator's Wife Pleads Not Guilty in Bribery Case
The senator's wife, her husband, and their associate are accused of conspiring to act as agents of Egypt.https://t.co/g6D04jhx20
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) October 19, 2023
Prosecutors assert that Senator Menendez profited the Egyptian government through the disclosure of sensitive government information and covert operations. At the outset, the senator and his spouse were subject to allegations of participation in a bribery conspiracy. According to the charges, they were offered a luxury vehicle, cash, and gold bars by New Jersey-based businessmen seeking the senator's counsel on matters pertaining to international affairs.
District Judge Sidney Stein of the United States has scheduled the trial to commence on May 6, 2024. In September of that year, Senator Menendez, who has been a member of the Senate since 2006, entered a prior not guilty plea to the initial indictment. Subsequent to the superseding indictment, the senator, aged 69, is scheduled to appear separately in court next week.
Judge Stein denied the third defendant's petition to remove his GPS monitoring device, which was made during the court proceeding and involved businessman Wael Hana. Hana's substantial overseas assets and close connections to the Egyptian government, which the judge deemed to be contrived, constituted a flight hazard. The attorney for Hana contended that the ankle bracelet caused his client discomfort and sleep disturbance.
Other co-defendants named in the indictment are businessman Jose Uribe and real estate developer Fred Daibes, both of whom pleaded not guilty. The indictment alleged that the defendants utilized text messages as a means to transmit confidential information from Senator Menendez to the Egyptian government. The Egyptian government allegedly confirmed one message that the senator intended to sign off on a sale of ammunition to Egypt by means of a "thumbs up" emoji.
From January 2018 to June 2022, the triumvirate allegedly conspired to act on behalf of Egypt, including its military and intelligence officials, according to these new charges. May 2019 allegedly saw an Egyptian intelligence official pay a visit to the Washington office of Senator Menendez, his wife, and their business associate, Mr. Hana.
His wife, Senator Menendez, has denied all allegations levelled against her, whereas he has sworn to defend his innocence in court. False and preposterous, the accusations against Hana were dismissed by his client's attorney. Undoubtedly, the trial will be scrutinized closely as additional information surfaces pertaining to this alarming case.
