Former Sen. Menendez learns his fate in corruption, bribery case

Former Democratic Senator from New Jersey, Robert Menendez, has finally learned his fate in the bribery and corruption case that had him resigning his seat in disgrace.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As the grand jury charged, between 2018 and 2022, Senator Menendez and his wife engaged in a corrupt relationship with Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes – three New Jersey businessmen who collectively paid hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including cash, gold, a Mercedes Benz, and other things of value – in exchange for Senator Menendez agreeing to use his power and influence to protect and enrich those businessmen and to benefit the Government of Egypt. My Office is firmly committed to rooting out corruption, without fear or favor, and without any regard to partisan politics. We will continue to do so.”

In June 2022, the FBI raided the New Jersey home of Menendez and his lovely wife Nadine. During the search, they uncovered evidence of a bribery scheme, which included cash, gold bars, a luxury convertible, and furniture. They found more than $480,000 in cash, a lot of it hidden in envelopes stuffed into clothes, closets, and a safe. Additionally, over $70,000 in cash was discovered in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box, which was searched under a different warrant. Some envelopes had fingerprints or DNA from Daibes or his driver. Others were tucked inside jackets with Menendez's name on them, hanging in his closet. 

But today is the day of reckoning. Bob Menendez got sentenced to 11 years in prison and his career in public life is in the toilet of time. Boss Bob, as he is known in the Garden State, had evaded accountability for his shady schemes but his past has finally caught up to him.

Did I mention Menendez is a Democrat?

In 2015, the Obama Justice Department tried to convict him regarding his relationship with a Florida-based ophthalmologist and donor, Salomon Melgen. In return for allegedly pushing his business interests, Melgen plied him with expensive gifts. Later, the business man would be found guilty of being involved in a Medicare fraud scheme. And while Menendez was able to skate by the law, the Justice Department kept an eye on him.

In 2023, he was indicted after almost $500,000 in cash was discovered throughout his home, including a horde of gold bars. He earned the moniker “gold bar Bob” over this discovery.

Last July, a jury found him guilty on all counts.

His sentencing came hours after the judge sentenced developer Fred Daibes to seven years behind bars for bribery.

For now, Nadine Menendez hasn't been sentenced. She was charged alongside Bob, a Democrat, but her trial has been indefinitely delayed as she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Her trial was to start on March 18, 2025, after a previous delay. The judge stated there will be no further extensions.

Tweet

Most New Jersians on both sides of the aisle have strong feelings about Sen. Menendez's scandal

A recent poll of New Jersey voters showed bipartisan results, which in this day and age is a political miracle. The opinion poll questioned the view people in the state have or Sen. Bobby "Bag-o-Gold" Menendez (D-NJ).

The senator and his lovely wife Nadine, were recently charged by the Department of Justice in a bribery scheme and in which he faces allegations of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. The poll showed that over half of the voters on both sides of the aisle want him to resign his seat.

Specifically, most residents, about 80%, were either very familiar or somewhat familiar with the charges while 1 in 5 had little to no knowledge of the case because there's always that percentage of people who don't know who fought in the Civil War or when the War of 1812 was fought so why would anyone expect them to know about Menendez's corruption?

Seventy-one percent of voters want him to resign and only 8% support his continuation in office because their cats told them not to fire the guy.

Democrats and Republicans, at 78% and 79%, respectively, believe he should step down, the poll found.

The poll was conducted by t from Oct. 9-18. It polled 630 New Jersey adult residents and utilized a combination of text invitations and phone calls, with 92% of interviews conducted on cellphones and 8% on landlines.

The data was weighted based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2021 data for New Jersey, considering variables like age, race, education level and sex, (whatever that is) and it had a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points, which statistically is rather tight and a decent indicator of validity.

Menendez faces an additional charge of acting as a foreign agent and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes aimed to benefit the Egyptian government through his "power and influence as a Senator," according to the superseding indictment filed by a grand jury in Manhattan this month.

A superseding indictment is used when new evidence or charges arise after an initial indictment has been issued. The grand jury issues this document and it expands on a previous indictment in criminal cases.

 Menendez denied the new charges and insisted he has always been "loyal to only one country – the United States of America," and one bank account, which is under his name. 

Menendez, along with Nadine, his lovely second wife since 2020, and three New Jersey businessmen – Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes – were first charged in the federal bribery scheme on Sept. 23rd of this year.

"Among other actions, MENENDEZ provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt," the indictment states.

"It was a part and an object of the conspiracy that ROBERT MENENDEZ, the defendant, and others known and unknown, being a public official, directly and indirectly, would and did corruptly demand, seek, receive, accept, and agree to receive and accept something of value personally and for another person and entity, in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act and for being induced to do an act and omit to do an act in violation of his official duty," the indictment reads.

So most people don't want him to remain in office but he refuses to not live off the taxpayer's money.

Tweet