The prosecutors building a case against Sen. Bob Menedez and his wife Nadine allege in new filings that her engagement ring came from a bribery scheme.To think Menendez is still in the Senate and the House expelled George Santos.From the filing (emphasis mine):
The affidavit in support of the January 2022 Menendez Email and iCloud Warrants summarizes the conversation in a way that describes a quid pro quo involving Menendez’s intervention in a criminal insurance fraud prosecution, but does not directly mention Menendez’s knowledge at all:
a. [The Hana Associate] told the CS, in sum and substance, that Hana arranged for [Nadine] Arslanian to receive a ring and a car in exchange for Menendez’s assistance in resolving criminal charges for insurance fraud pending against an American male.b. In particular, on the recording of this meeting made by the CS, [the Hana Associate] discussed how the criminal case needed a push, and this push saved the male three years.c. [The Hana Associate] further told the CS that the American male gave Hana $150,000 and that Hana then purchased the engagement ring for Menendez’s girlfriend, along with a car, and kept the remaining money for himself.
The filing also claimed Nadine had alternate phones, one called 007:
Evidence that on January 29, 2019 , prior to calling Official-2 , Menendez first called Nadine Menendez on her alternate cellphone (a phone Menendez and Nadine Menendez referred to as her 007 phone, an apparent reference to the fictional character James Bond) before Nadine Menendez requested and received from Hana briefing information about the New Jersey Defendant’s case, and then— shortly after Nadine Menendez received this information from Hana and before calling Official-2 received a series of text messages from the 007 phone.
Other new information included two bags of cash totaling $100,000, four jackets with hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash, four boots with $5,000, and even more gold bars.
Prosecutors charged the senator and his wife in September with numerous serious charges.
The authorities allege they “engaged in a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey associates and businessmen” in exchange for favors for Egypt.
Previous search warrants revealed $480,000 in cash hidden around the house, $70,000 in Nadine’s safe deposit box, a luxury vehicle paid for by Uribe, and $100,000 worth in gold bars.
In October, a new indictment accused Bob and Nadine of acting as an agent for the Egyptian government.
The prosecutors accused Nadine and her friend of organizing meetings with the senator to persuade him “to use his power and authority to facilitate such sales and financing to Egypt” in exchange for luxury items and a low-or-no-show job for Nadine.
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