CNN reported that a US jury found Senator Robert Menendez, one of the authors of sanctions against Russia, guilty of 16 charges, including corruption, bribery and working for the interests of two Arab countries.
The new charges come days after Jose Uribe, a businessman previously indicted along with Menendez, his wife and two others, agreed to plead guilty and said he would cooperate with authorities.
For his part, Menendez denied committing any wrongdoing and accused the prosecution of targeting him, saying in a statement, "The government is unsatisfied or unable to fairly confront these facts at trial, and now falsely alleges a cover-up and obstruction."
“This latest indictment says much more about the government than it does about me,” he added. “It says that prosecutors are afraid of the facts, afraid of having their charges scrutinized fairly by a jury, unconstrained by any sense of justice, and will stop at nothing to get me.”
Senator Robert Menendez, who is seeking re-election this year, and his wife were accused last year of receiving gold bars, cash, a Mercedes and other items in exchange for taking steps to help three businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The new charges provide additional details about alleged attempts by Menendez and his wife to cover up the bribery, including by having members of the defense team provide misleading information during meetings with prosecutors.
Prosecutors allege the senator had his then-lawyer meet with prosecutors in 2023 to argue that he was not aware until 2022 of the $23,568 a New Jersey businessman paid for Nadine Menendez's home or car.
His lawyer also told prosecutors, according to the indictment, that the money was loans, and checks the senator wrote to repay the "loans" were given to prosecutors.
“In fact and in reality, as Menendez well knew, the money paid to the mortgage and car company prior to 2022 was not a loan, but a bribe,” the indictment reads.
Prosecutors allege that Nadine Menendez also pushed her attorney to make false statements to authorities.
After FBI agents searched Menendez's home and sent subpoenas seeking information about the money paid for the car, prosecutors allege, Uribe stopped making payments, and shortly after, Nadine Menendez met Uribe.
Prosecutors alleged that Nadine Menendez asked Uribe what he would say if authorities asked him about the car, and Uribe told her he would say the money was a loan, and she agreed that it sounded good.
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