NJ Sen. Bob Menendez accused of conspiring to act as a foreign agent in superseding indictment

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) faces new charges accusing him of accepting bribes on behalf of a foreign government and conspiring to act as a foreign agent, according to a superseding indictment filed by a federal grand jury in Manhattan.

The superseding indictment alleges Menendez, New Jersey's senior senator, “provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.”

In September, the senator and his wife were indicted by a grand jury on federal bribery charges stemming from their alleged relationship with three businessmen, according to court filings.

Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York alleged Menendez received cash, gold bars, payments towards a home mortgage, compensation for a low or no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other items of value from businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes.

The FBI said Menendez provided sensitive U.S. government information to Egypt in exchange for the alleged bribes.

Federal prosecutors now allege in the superseding indictment that Sen. Robert Menendez’s wife Nadine Menendez and a New Jersey businessman Wael Hana “worked to introduce Egyptian intelligence and military officials to Menendez for the purpose of establishing and solidifying a corrupt agreement in which Hana, with assistance from Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, the defendants, provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes to Menendez and Nadine Menendez, in exchange for Menendez’s acts and breaches of duty to benefit the Government of Egypt, Hana, and others, including with respect to foreign military sales and foreign military financing.”

Specifically, the superseding indictment released Oct. 12 charges Menendez and others with, “From at least in or about January 2018 through at least in or about June 2022, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, ROBERT MENENDEZ, NADINE MENENDEZ, a/k/a “Nadine Arslanian,” and WAEL HANA, a/k/a “Will Hana,” the defendants, and others known and unknown, willfully and knowingly combined,  conspired, confederated, and agreed together and with each other to have a public official, to wit, ROBERT MENENDEZ, act as an agent of a foreign principal, to wit, the Government of Egypt and Egyptian officials.”

A search of the couple's home turned up $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash, said prosecutors, who announced the charges against the powerful 69-year-old Democrat nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury.

Menendez released a statement to News 4 New York on Thursday denying the new allegations.

“The government’s latest charge flies in the face of my long record of standing up for human rights and democracy in Egypt and in challenging leaders of that country, including President El-Sisi on these issues," Menendez said. "I have been, throughout my life, loyal to only one country — the United States of America, the land my family chose to live in democracy and freedom.

I have been, throughout my life, loyal to only one country — the United States of America, the land my family chose to live in democracy and freedom. Piling new charge upon new charge does not make the allegations true.

Sen. Bob Menendez response to latest charges

“Piling new charge upon new charge does not make the allegations true. The facts haven’t changed, only a new charge. It is an attempt to wear someone down and I will not succumb to this tactic. I again ask people who know me and my record to give me the chance to present my defense and show my innocence.”

In response to the original indictment, David Schertler, a lawyer for Menendez’s wife, said his client "denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court.”

Daibes' attorney, Tim Donohue, said after the release of the original indictment that his client would be "completely exonerated of all charges."

The defense attorney for Hana said the new allegation that the businessman "was part of a plot concocted over dinner to enlist Senator Menendez as an agent of the Egyptian Government is as absurd as it is false."

While additional details about Menendez’s alleged conduct on behalf of the government of Egypt are included in Thursday's filing, prosecutors do not allege that Menendez or his wife accepted any additional cash or gifts that weren’t already included in previous charges.

Menendez served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until stepping down in September amid federal bribery charges.

A number of Senate Democrats, including Menendez's fellow senator from New Jersey, Sen. Cory Booker, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy have called on Menendez to resign. Sen. John Fetterman repeated his call for Menendez to resign, as did Rep. Andy Kim, who recently announced his attention to run against the embattled senator.

Menendez has said he will stay in office and fight the charges.