Menendez set to return to federal court
New indictment alleges he acted as foreign agent
Sen. Bob Menendez is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday to enter a plea for a new superseding indictment alleging he acted as a foreign agent to benefit the Egyptian government during a period when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The superseding indictment, filed Thursday in federal court, alleges that New Jersey’s senior senator, his wife, Nadine Menendez, and New Jersey businessman Wael Hana, originally from Egypt, conspired for Menendez to act as a foreign agent from January 2018 through at least June 2022 for the Egyptian government and Egyptian officials, violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Last month, corruption and bribery charges were filed against Menendez by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The unsealed indictment said Menendez accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for helping them enrich themselves and trying to get them out of trouble.
New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe and Edgewater developer Fred Daibes were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in the original indictment.
Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Hana, Uribe and Daibes also pleaded not guilty to the original indictment charges.
Beginning in 2018, Nadine Menendez and Hana worked to introduce Egyptian intelligence and military officials to Menendez for the purpose of “establishing and solidifying” a corrupt agreement, with the assistance of Daibes and Uribe, who provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Menendez and his wife, the indictment alleged.
In exchange, Menendez allegedly acted to benefit the government of Egypt, as well as Hana and others, including with respect to foreign military sales and foreign military financing.
Menendez, as chairman or ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, “possessed substantial influence over foreign military sales and foreign military financing to Egypt,” the indictment said.
‘Consider it done’
During a 2019 meeting in Washington, D.C., in Menendez’s Senate office, the senator, Nadine Menendez and Hana met with an Egyptian official. The group discussed a human rights issue about an American citizen who was injured in a 2015 airstrike by the Egyptian military using a U.S.-manufactured Apache helicopter.
Certain members of Congress perceived that the Egyptian government was not willing to provide fair compensation to the injured citizen, resulting in objections to awarding certain military aid to Egypt, the superseding indictment said. After the meeting, Menendez searched the American citizen’s name online and visited a website that had information on the citizen’s claim.
About a week later, using an encrypted messaging system, the Egyptian official sent a text to Hana in Arabic saying that if Menendez helped resolve the matter, “he will sit very comfortable,” the indictment said. Hana replied, “orders, consider it done.”
Information and screen shots were then sent from the Egyptian official to Hana, who sent them to Nadine Menendez, who then sent them to the senator.
Sensitive information on US Embassy staff in Cairo
Menendez allegedly texted sensitive information regarding the number and nationalities of staff members at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to Nadine Menendez in May 2018, and she forwarded the message to Hana, who forwarded it to an Egyptian government official.
Ghost-written letter for Egypt
The indictment said Menendez also ghost-wrote a letter that same month on behalf of Egypt to other U.S. senators advocating for them to release a hold on $300 million in aid to the country.
Weapons for Egypt
In the ensuing years, Menendez allegedly signed off on millions in weapons and ammunition sales to Egypt, as well as military financing.
In May 2018, during a dinner, Menendez allegedly disclosed to Hana nonpublic information. Shortly after the dinner, Hana texted an Egyptian official, “The ban on small arms and ammunition to Egypt has been lifted. That means sales can begin. That will include sniper rifles among other articles.”
In July 2018, Menendez met with an Egyptian official and Egyptian military officials to discuss foreign military financing and sales, during a meeting that was “arranged, scheduled and attended” by Nadine Menendez and Hana, the indictment said.
Before the meeting, the Egyptian government, through Hana and Nadine Menendez, provided Menendez briefing materials “advocating for Egyptian foreign policy and goals,” the indictment said.
The next day, Menendez allegedly sent a text to his wife: “Tell Will [Hana] I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today. Egypt: 46,000 120MM Target Practice Rounds and 10,000 Rounds Tank Ammunition: $99 million.”