Oct. 12 (UPI) — More charges were announced against embattled Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey on Thursday.
In a superseding indictment, the Justice Department charged Menendez with an additional criminal count of conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent of Egypt by accepting bribes in exchange for actions benefitting the Egyptian government.
The court filing charged Menendez, his wife, Nadine, and Egyptian-born New Jersey businessman Wael Hana with conspiring to have Menendez act “as an agent of a foreign principal, to wit, the Government of Egypt and Egyptian officials.”
Menendez, his wife, Hana and New Jersey businessmen Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes already faced bribery charges for allegedly paying Menendez cash, gold bars and a Mercedes convertible in exchange for Menendez using his political influence to benefit them.
The federal court filing said the alleged conspiracy to act as a foreign agent in return for bribes happened in or about January 2018 through at least in or about June 2022.
Uribe and Daibes were not charged with the additional fourth count.
The superseding indictment said Menendez and his wife allegedly “engaged in a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey associates and businessmen” and agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to protect and enrich Hana, Uribe and Daibes and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt.”
The other three counts against Menendez and his wife are conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery.
Menendez says he is innocent of the charges.
