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bob menendez
Sensing Opportunity, White-Collar Criminals Vie for Trump Pardons
"Everybody that is in prison now is keenly aware of the environment, and it's become a very hot topic within the low- and minimum-security inmate communities," said a consultant who has advised white-collared convicts.
Mar 11, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term with a blitz of clemency actions, including issuing pardons and commutations for over 1,500 rioters convicted in connection to the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and pardoning Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, and now the president's "moves to expand the use of pardons have white-collar defendants jolting to attention," according to Tuesday reporting from Politico.
Those reportedly angling for clemency include individuals like jailed crypto titan Sam Bankman-Fried, former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) who earlier this year was sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption and bribery, two reality TV stars guilty of defrauding banks and evading taxes, and a member of the music group the Fugees who was convicted for taking part in an embezzlement scheme.
Sam Mangel, a consultant to people convicted of white-collar crime who has advised individuals like Bankman-Fried, told Politico that "everybody that is in prison now is keenly aware of the environment, and it's become a very hot topic within the low- and minimum-security inmate communities."
According to The New York Times, "The new administration has a team of appointees focusing on the process early in Mr. Trump's term, with a particular focus on clemency grants that underscore the president's own grievances about what he sees as the political weaponization of the justice system."
Accordingly, clemency petitioners are "tailoring their pitches to the president by emphasizing their loyalty to him and echoing his claims of political persecution," per the Times.
For example, a lawyer representing conservative reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley wrote in a document prepared for the Trump administration that the couple's conviction for bank fraud and tax evasion "exemplifies the weaponization of justice against conservatives and public figures, eroding basic constitutional protections."
Some, like Menendez, have made themselves out to be the victims of the "corrupt" justice system.
"President Trump is right," wrote Menendez on X the day he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. "This process is political and has been corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system."
In Trump's first term, his use of clemency was "all about cronyism and partisanship and helping out his friends and his political advisers," Rachel Barkow, a professor at New York University School of Law, told the Times. This time around, "the potential for corruption is higher," she said, "because they're starting early, they have figured out how they want to set it up so that people have a pipeline to get to them."
This shift in Trump's second term includes disempowering the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney and instead shifting control of the clemency operations to the White House Counsel's Office, according to anonymous sources cited by the Times.
Elizabeth Oyer, who had been the U.S. pardon attorney since being appointed in 2022, was fired last week after she refused to recommend that actor Mel Gibson—who is a supporter of Trump—should have his gun rights restored, according Monday reporting from the Times. Gibson lost his gun rights following a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction.
In late February, Trump also appointed White House "pardon czar" Alice Johnson. Both the appointment of Johnson and the departure of Oyer, "signal that Trump is not done exercising his clemency powers," according to Politico.
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Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Bribery
"Bob Menendez's blatant corruption made a mockery of the Senate and was one more piece of the shattering of Americans' trust in our government in recent years," said the head of one government watchdog.
Jan 29, 2025
"Americans can feel secure in the knowledge that, in at least some cases, corruption does not go unpunished," said one government watchdog on Wednesday after a federal district court judge in New York sentenced former Sen. Robert Menendez to 11 years in prison for bribery, extortion, and other crimes.
Menendez, who represented New Jersey as a Democrat in the Senate for 18 years, was convicted last year of trading his political influence, including as former chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for gifts including cash, gold bricks, and a luxury car.
A jury found him guilty of accepting bribes from three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt.
He resigned from the Senate soon after his conviction, as his colleagues began considering an expulsion. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) led the call for his resignation, saying Menendez should step down to "maintain the integrity" of his Senate seat.
He was convicted of using his political clout to intervene in criminal cases on behalf of his associates, two of whom were also sentenced on Wednesday.
"It is critical that we hold our elected leaders to the highest professional and ethical standards."
Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said the sentence was "in line with these very serious offenses."
"Bob Menendez's blatant corruption made a mockery of the Senate and was one more piece of the shattering of Americans' trust in our government in recent years," said Bookbinder. "By sending Menendez to prison, the judge has shown that the system can work."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, said that although Menendez "accomplished many things in behalf of our state and our residents... sadly he will be remembered for putting his own interests and financial gain ahead of the public interest."
"At a time when our country is deeply divided," said Murphy, "it is critical that we hold our elected leaders to the highest professional and ethical standards."
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'What's the Holdup?' Menendez to Resign Next Month
"It's time for New Jersey to move forward," said U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who is running to replace the senator.
Jul 23, 2024
One day after the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee notified Sen. Bob Menendez that it had voted to move toward a potential vote on expelling him from the upper chamber of Congress, the New Jersey Democrat told Gov. Phil Murphy that he would resign, effective August 20.
Menendez announced his resignation a week after he was convicted of 16 counts of bribery and acting as a foreign agent.
But with senators and members of the U.S. House long having called on the lawmaker to resign over the federal bribery charges, one leading ethics group asked why Menendez was waiting nearly a month to leave office.
"What's the holdup?" asked Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
Menendez was convicted last week of accepting bribes from three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the Egyptian government. He pleaded not guilty.
CREW promptly called on Menendez to resign after his conviction, saying he had spent years "ducking accountability for corruption."
"There is no room in the Senate for a convicted felon, especially not one convicted of taking bribes," said CREW president Noah Bookbinder last week. "He must resign today or be immediately expelled."
Manu Raju of CNN pointed out that the August 20 resignation date allows Menendez "to collect another taxpayer-funded paycheck."
Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), the chair and vice chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, respectively, said Monday that the panel had voted to begin "an adjudicatory review of [Menendez's] alleged violations of Senate Rules."
"An adjudicatory review is required when the committee considers disciplinary actions, such as expulsion or censure," said the senators.
Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis noted that lawmakers' resignation before their colleagues have a chance to recommend their expulsion is "a pattern throughout history."
Menendez was convicted of using his influence to meddle in three state and federal criminal cases to protect his associates, as well as taking actions that benefited the government of Egypt in exchange for bribes. Prosecutors said he ghostwrote a letter to his Senate colleagues about lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. He did the favors in exchange for stacks of gold bars and $480,000 in cash that he hid in his home.
The senator wrote to Murphy that "I fully intend to appeal the jury's verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court."
Menendez's term was set to expire in January 2025; following his resignation, Murphy will be empowered to appoint someone to serve for the remainder of the senator's term. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) is running to replace Menendez and is favored to win against Republican Curtis Bagshaw. The disgraced senator also launched a bid last month to run for his seat as an Independent.
Kim said Tuesday that Menendez had "made the right decision for New Jersey by agreeing to step down next month."
"It's time for New Jersey to move forward," he said. "We have big challenges ahead of us, and we can only tackle them if we show the people of our state that this is the beginning of a new era of politics built on integrity, service, and delivering for all families."
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Democrats, Progressives Call On Menendez to Resign After Bribery Conviction
"He must resign today or be immediately expelled," said one watchdog leader.
Jul 16, 2024
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez faced fresh pressure to resign on Tuesday after his federal corruption trial ended with a jury finding him guilty on all 16 counts for accepting bribes from three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
"In light of this guilty verdict, Sen. Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of the New Jersey Democrat, who had pleaded not guilty.
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that the verdict "demonstrates that the senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office. It also shows that in America, everyone—no matter how powerful—is accountable to our laws."
Murphy continued:
Sen. Menendez received a fair trial and due process of law as he was entitled to under our Constitution. I want to thank all the public servants who play crucial roles in our criminal justice system, including our law enforcement officials, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors, and judges. Their hard work ensured that these brazen crimes were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and our nation is grateful for their service.
I reiterate my call for Sen. Menendez to resign immediately after being found guilty of endangering national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system. If he refuses to vacate his office, I call on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel him. In the event of a vacancy, I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington president Noah Bookbinder, a former federal corruption prosecutor, similarly released a statement calling on the Senate to act if Menendez refuses to leave voluntarily.
"After years of ducking accountability for corruption, Sen. Bob Menendez has finally been convicted by a jury of his peers," he said. "There is no room in the Senate for a convicted felon, especially not one convicted of taking bribes. He must resign today or be immediately expelled."
Common Cause president and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón said that "after a guilty verdict from a jury of his peers who heard all the facts of the case, Sen. Menendez has broken the trust of New Jersey voters. When we see our leaders sell their influence, we lose faith that democracy is worth participating and believing in."
"It is foundational to our representative democracy that our leaders in Washington put their own personal interests aside in favor of the public interest," she added. "Rather than serve the voters, Sen. Menendez sold them out for his own personal profit. He must resign."
Menendez was initially indicted in September for allegedly taking bribes in the form of "cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value." He swiftly stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but remained in the chamber, despite calls for his resignation as the charges mounted.
The verdict was delivered at a federal courthouse in New York City on Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that "as the verdict was read in court, Menendez, 70, looked toward the jury at times as he appeared to mark a document in front of him. Afterward, he sat resting his chin against his closed hands, elbows on the table."
Menendez did not testify at the trial—the conclusion of which comes as he is running for another Senate term as an Independent against Democratic Congressman Andy Kim and Curtis Bashaw, a Republican real estate developer.
"I'm deeply disappointed by the jury's decision," Menendez told reporters outside the courthouse, adding that he plans to appeal. "I have never violated my public oath. I've never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country."
The senator previously faced unrelated corruption charges in 2017, but that trial ended with a deadlocked jury. In this case, his wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged. She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial was postponed so she could recover from breast cancer surgery.
This post has been updated with comment from Common Cause.
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US Rep. Henry Cuellar and Wife Indicted on Bribery Charges
"In exchange for the bribe payments to Imelda Cuellar, Henry Cuellar agreed to perform official acts in his capacity as a member of Congress," the indictment states.
May 03, 2024
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Friday that Democratic Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were indicted last week for allegedly "participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering."
According to the indictment, between at least December 2014 and November 2021, the Cuellars allegedly took approximately $600,000 in bribes from a fossil fuel company owned by the Azerbaijani government and an unnamed bank headquartered in Mexico City. The congressman, who has served on Capitol Hill for nearly two decades and is seeking reelection, previously co-chaired the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
"The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar," the document states. "In exchange for the bribe payments to Imelda Cuellar, Henry Cuellar agreed to perform official acts in his capacity as a member of Congress, to commit acts in violation of his official duties, and to act as an agent of the government of Azerbaijan and [the foreign bank]."
NBC News first reported early Friday that the Justice Department was expected to release the indictment, which came more than two years after a Federal Bureau of Investigation raid of the couple's Laredo home. Before the document was unsealed, the congressman claimed in a statement that his actions were "consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people."
"I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations," Cuellar said Friday. "Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm."
The Cuellars "made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston," the Justice Departmnet said Friday. If convicted of all the charges, the 68-year-old congressman and his 67-year-old wife could face decades in prison.
Congressional Democratic leadership last year endorsed Cuellar for reelection in November, despite his opposition to abortion rights—a key issue for this cycle at all levels of politics. During the 2022 cycle, after nearly losing to progressive primary challenger Jessica Cisneros, he beat the Republican nominee, Cassy Garcia, 57% to 43%.
A spokesperson for U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Christie Stephenson, said in a Friday statement that "Henry Cuellar has admirably devoted his career to public service and is a valued member of the House Democratic Caucus. Like any American, Congressman Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process."
"Pursuant to House Democratic Caucus Rule 24, Congressman Cuellar will take leave as ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while this matter is ongoing," Stephenson added.
Cuellar isn't the only Democrat in Congress battling allegations of corruption and bribery charges. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted last September and accused of accepting bribes in the form of "cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value."
The following month, the Justice Department accused the senator of acting as an unregistered agent for the government of Egypt. Menendez has denied wrongdoing and refused to resign. Although he is not seeking reelection as a Democrat, he has teased a possible independent run if he is exonerated.
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Menendez Faces Fresh Calls to Resign After Qatar Claims
The New Jersey Democrat "is a disgrace and a distraction, and he should resign immediately," said one critic.
Jan 02, 2024
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez endured new demands for his resignation on Tuesday after federal prosecutors accused him of taking bribes related to the government of Qatar, building on previous calls for the New Jersey Democrat to step down.
"Sen. Menendez should resign out of respect for the people of New Jersey and Americans everywhere," declared Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.). "These new allegations are the definition of political corruption, and people should be able to trust that their elected officials are working for them, not foreign entities."
Melanie D'Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health and a former congressional candidate, also called for his resignation, saying that "too many in Congress are treating corruption as the goal, not the problem that needs to be addressed."
Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen said Menendez "is a disgrace and a distraction, and he should resign immediately," adding that there is "no room in the Democratic Party for such abject corruption."
The senator and his wife were charged in September for allegedly engaging in "a corrupt relationship" with New Jersey businessmen Wael "Will" Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, and accepting bribes in the form of "cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value."
Menendez—who is up for reelection this year—swiftly stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but remains on the panel. In October, prosecutors accused him of acting as an unregistered agent for the government of Egypt.
The new superseding indictment doesn't add any charges but claims that the 70-year-old senator also publicly praised the government of Qatar to help Daibes with a multimillion-dollar real estate deal involving a member of the Qatari royal family.
While Tim Donohue, an attorney for Daibes, told The Associated Press Tuesday that he had no comment, Menendez lawyer Adam Fee claimed that the latest allegations "stink of desperation."
"Despite what they've touted in press releases, the government does not have the proof to back up any of the old or new allegations against Sen. Menendez," Fee said. "What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials. They are turning this into a persecution, not a prosecution."
"At all times, Sen. Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with," he added. "Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot. This latest indictment only exposes the lengths to which these hostile prosecutors will go to poison the public before a trial even begins. But these new allegations don't change a thing, and their theories won't survive the scrutiny of the court or a jury."
The senator, his wife, and the businesses have pleaded not guilty to all charges. A federal just last week denied Menendez's request to push the start of jury selection from May to July.
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After House Ousts Santos, Fetterman Says Menendez Also 'Needs to Go'
"If you are going to expel Santos, how can you allow... somebody like Menendez to remain in the Senate?"
Dec 01, 2023
After the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to expel Republican New York Congressman George Santos, Sen. John Fetterman renewed his demand for similar action against Sen. Bob Menendez.
Fetterman (D-Pa.) has been calling for Menendez (D-N.J.) to exit the Senate since he was indicted in September and accused aiding the government of Egypt, engaging in "a corrupt relationship" with multiple businessmen, and accepting bribes in the form of "cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value."
Menendez has temporarily stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but refused to voluntarily leave the chamber, even after he was hit with another federal charge in October for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for Egpyt.
Appearing on "The View" Friday, Fetterman argued that Menendez's alleged actions are "much more sinister and serious" than those of Santos—who faces 23 charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States.
"He needs to go. And if you are going to expel Santos, how can you allow... somebody like Menendez to remain in the Senate?" said Fetterman, who previously returned $5,000 that his colleague gave to his 2022 campaign. "Menendez, I think, is really a senator for Egypt, not New Jersey."
Asked about the fact that Menendez has not been convicted of any crimes, Fetterman responded that "he has the right for his day in court... but he doesn't have the right to have those kind of votes [in the Senate]. That's not a right and I think we need to make that kind of decision to send him out."
Congressman Rob Menendez (D-N.J.)—the embattled senator's son, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing—was among the 105 Republicans and 206 Democrats who voted Friday to expel Santos. It was a reversal from his position last month, before the House Ethics Committee released its report on the New Yorker's alleged misconduct and criminal activity.
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The US Must Stand For Democracy in the Middle East
It appears the U.S. has been interested in maintaining short-term stability and allyships more than long-term stability that benefits people of the region.
Oct 28, 2023
As global attention zeroes in on the Israel war on Gaza following Hamas attacks earlier this month, and corruption charges face a U.S. senator and his ties to Egypt, it is noteworthy that for many decades, the region has been synonymous with instability and violence.
I grew up in Cairo, Egypt, and have been teaching in the U.S. about that region at the university level for more than a decade, nine years after I arrived to the U.S. where I am a citizen.
The U.S. government has been ineffective at stopping the discord in the region directly and indirectly by what some see as inaction and silence.
U.S. leaders and policymakers must stand up for democratic values in the Middle East and stand against corruptions, wars, and military and colonialist regimes in the region.
President Joe Biden is standing in support of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he launches war on Gaza, issuing a brief joint statement with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom for the “protection of civilians.” Biden also announced $100 million in aid to Palestine.
The consensus among many observers is that the U.S.’s main concern is to stabilize the region at any cost.
There have been so many reasons for the longstanding and ongoing turbulence in the Middle East, which goes back in its modern version to regimes of post-independence in 1950s. These reasons include colonial wars or invasions of neighboring countries.
Other complications are the presence of corrupt dictatorships such as Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Bashar al-Assad and Hafiz al-Assad in Syria, as well as military dictatorships in Egypt.
The Arab-Israeli conflict goes back to 1948, starting with a war between five Arab countries and Israel after the establishment of the state of Israel in the same year. After that, many wars took place and United Nations resolutions have been discarded by the parties involved.
The Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 represented a great opportunity to establish democracy in the region. But reactionary political elites, tyrannical old regimes, as well as regional and superpowers worked together to contain the change.
Many media observers focus on a singular reason for the turmoil in the Middle East. But the truth is that many factors have contributed to making this region a site of human losses, killing, and violence.
It appears the U.S. has been interested in maintaining short-term stability and allyships more than long-term stability that benefits people of the region. Israel’s security and the flow of oil are often cited as determinants for U.S. foreign policy in the region.
There is also evidence of corruption and influence by at least one U.S. policymaker.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife, Nadine Menendez, are facing charges in court this week of bribery and conspiracy to act as a foreign agent for Egypt by the Justice Department. At the time Menendez was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Menendez is pleading not guilty to the charge that he and his wife accepted cash, gold bars, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen who wanted the senator’s help and influence over foreign affairs.
The problem is much deeper than this case.
Bribery is defined legally as a corrupt solicitation, acceptance, or transfer of value in exchange for official action. There are also oil and arms sales used for allyship with Saudi Arabia, military bases used for protection, and silence on human rights records in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar as well as military sales and aid for maintaining influence in Egypt.
The logic of bribery is the opposite of transparency and accountability, which are significant parts of democracy. The logic of democracy stands on the foundation of equality, people’s power, and people’s rule and presumes the right of representative governments to deliberate and the people’s right to hold officials accountable.
In his 2012 book, Democracy Prevention: The Politics of the U.S.-Egyptian Alliance, author Jason Brownlee writes, the U.S. has impeded democratic change and reinforced authoritarianism over time.
The government of Egypt punishes Egyptian artists and activists who speak the truth in the U.S.
After his participation in series of Congressional meetings in 2019 to discuss Egypt’s dictator Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi’s human rights violations and the constitutional amendments to extend the dictator’s power, actors Amr Amr Waked and Khaled Abol Naga were expelled from their union for “conspiring against Egypt’s security and stability.”
Waked was sentenced to eight years in prison in a military trial. According to Human Rights Watch, there is a strong evidence that Egyptian intelligence officials trained the Tiger Team squad that killed Washington Post journalist and Saudi Arabia resident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 and provided the drugs that were used to sedate him.
At the time in 2018 Menendez was allegedly trying to help Egyptian officials ensure weapons continued to flow, Egypt was detaining and torturing U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents—including Mustafa Kassem, who would later die in prison in January 2020.
To be sure, one corrupt Senator does not damn the entire U.S. government.
For the U.S., a solution to dealing with the region can be to work for long-term stability based on supporting genuinely representative, inclusive, and democratic regimes.
U.S. leaders and policymakers must stand up for democratic values in the Middle East and stand against corruptions, wars, and military and colonialist regimes in the region.
It is the right thing to do.
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Menendez Must Resign or Be Expelled, Critics Say as Grand Jury Files New Corruption Charges
"Given the severity of these charges, the U.S. Senate should vote on expulsion," said Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
Oct 12, 2023
Calls for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to resign intensified on Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on fresh charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and accepting bribes on behalf of the government of Egypt.
At least one federal lawmaker said that if the New Jersey Democrat doesn't step down, the Senate should vote on expelling him.
"I cannot stand by as the senator representing my family and my state has been accused of acting as a foreign agent," said U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). "Given the severity of these charges, the U.S. Senate should vote on expulsion."
According to the superseding indictment, the senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, working with New Jersey businessman Wael Hana "to introduce Egyptian intelligence and military officials to Menendez for the purpose of establishing and solidifying a corrupt agreement."
Menendez acted as an "agent of foreign principle" to the Egyptian government from January 2018 until June 2022, the indictment says—a period when he was serving as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He allegedly did not register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Authorities also said Hana worked with two other New Jersey businessmen, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, to provide "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."
The senator allegedly "provided sensitive U.S. government information and took other steps that secretly aided the government of Egypt," prosecutors said.
"The superseding indictment makes it clear and undeniable: Egypt tried to buy changes in American foreign policy with bribes," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), calling on Menendez to resign.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) echoed the call for the senator's immediate resignation, while Jordan Zakarin, reporter for the labor-focused media organization More Perfect Union, said Democrats should move to expel him.
"Let Republicans object and try to keep him if they want, but this lifelong grifter has to go right now," said Zakarin.
Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty last month to corruption charges after prosecutors accused them of using the senator's influence to benefit Egypt in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars and a Mercedes-Benz.
Those charges also led to calls from members of Congress for the senator's resignation.
On Thursday, prosecutors asked a judge to seize the luxury car as well as the couple's residence in New Jersey.
Menendez was also indicted in 2015 in another bribery scheme. A trial ended in a hung jury in 2017.
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Booker to Menendez: 'Stepping Down Is Best'
"Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost," said one of New Jersey's U.S. senators to the one facing federal corruption charges.
Sep 26, 2023
Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday called on Sen. Bob Menendez, his fellow New Jersey Democrat in the U.S. Senate, to step aside in the face of a damning federal indictment on corruption charges issued last week.
"As Senator Menendez prepares to mount his legal defense, he has stated that he will not resign," Booker said in a statement. "Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair. But I believe this is a mistake."
Booker praised Menendez as a friend and trusted colleague, one with a "boundless work ethic" and who is "deeply empathetic."
This is Menendez's second indictment for corruption, with a first trial over charges brought in 2017 ending in a mistrial.
"It is not surprising to me that Senator Menendez is again determined to mount a vigorous defense," Booker said Tuesday. "And I still believe he, like anyone involved with our criminal justice system, deserves our presumption of innocence until proven guilty. A jury of his peers will make the ultimate decision as to whether he is criminally guilty.
"There is, however, another higher standard for public officials, one not of criminal law but of common ideals," he continued. "As Senators, we operate in the public trust. That trust is essential to our ability to do our work and perform our duties for our constituents."
Booker now joins other Democratic in the upper chamber—including Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Sherrod Brown (D-Oh.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Tester (D-Mt.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.)—who have called on Menendez to resign.
On Monday, a defiant Menendez made his first public remarks about the indictment, in which he said the nearly $480,000 in cash and gold bars found in his house was from his own personal savings account over the years, all money he claimed was legitimately earned from his career as a politician and lawmaker.
He said he would not resign, though he acknowledged the legal battle ahead would be tough. Once the process was over, he vowed that "not only will I be exonerated, I will still be New Jersey's senior senator."
In his statement, Booker said, "Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost. Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving."
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