Dem Senator and Wife Investigated for Allegedly Accepting Bribes

(ProsperNews.net) – Federal investigators are looking into allegations that a Democratic Congressman accepted gold bars from a convicted felon in exchange for favors. IRS and FBI agents are investigating whether New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez or his wife accepted $400,000 worth of gold from property developer Fred Daibes, who was seeking help to deal with criminal accusations.

Mr. Daibes was facing a potential ten-year prison term on federal bank fraud charges and may have asked Menendez to intervene on his behalf because he was close friends with US Attorney Philip Sellinger, who was overseeing the case. A Manhattan grand jury is now hearing evidence and deciding whether to bring corruption charges against the Senator.

Attorney Danny Cevallos said it doesn’t matter whether Senator Menendez actually attempted to influence Daibes’s legal case, but merely whether corruption was present or intended. “For purposes of the Federal Extortion Act, it makes no difference if the senator took an official act so long as he accepted the money and there was knowledge the money was in exchange for that official influence,” he said.

In a separate probe, investigators are examining gifts provided to Mr. Menendez’s wife Nadine Arslanian by a New Jersey food producer in relation to a contract with the Egyptian government to provide halal certification to various products. Investigators are considering whether Menendez may have used his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to improperly influence the deal. The gifts allegedly included the use of a luxury apartment in Washington, DC, and a Mercedes.

Senator Menendez denies all allegations and has established an online defense fund – he has reportedly spent more than $200,000 in legal fees so far.

It is not the first corruption allegation against the New Jersey lawmaker as he was indicted on bribery charges in 2016. On that occasion, a Florida doctor was alleged to have provided generous donations in exchange for influence. The Department of Justice dropped that case in 2018.