US prosecutors accuse Joe Biden ally of senator of bribery World

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and his wife have been charged with bribery because of their relationships with three businessmen, federal prosecutors said Friday (22).

Menendez has been in the Senate since 2006. He is the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a key ally of Democratic President Joe Biden.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that the defendants received thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to protect and enrich businessmen and benefit the Egyptian government.

Prosecutors said the bribes included cash, gold, home mortgages, minimum wage compensation, luxury vehicles and other valuables.

Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez face three counts each.

Menendez said in a statement that the lawyers misrepresented the routine legislative work.

“The transgressions of these prosecutors are obvious and the facts are not presented,” he said.

A lawyer for Nadine Menendez, who has been married to the senator since 2020, said she has done nothing wrong and will “vigorously defend herself” against the charges in court.

Menendez was previously accused in New Jersey of accepting private jets, campaign contributions and other bribes from a wealthy patron in exchange for official favors, but a 2017 trial deadlocked with a jury.

Prosecutors are seeking to seize Menendez’s assets, including his New Jersey home, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz and about $566,000 in cash, gold bars and funds from bank accounts.

Businessmen — Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes — were also charged in the scheme.