Senator Menendez’s superseding indictment alleges he acted as foreign agent to Egypt

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was indicted on bribery charges 20 days ago, is already facing a superseding indictment alleging that he acted as a foreign agent to the Egyptian government while serving as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Among other actions, Menendez provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt,” federal prosecutors charge.

“Menendez also improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly granted to [Wael] Hana by Egypt and used in part to fund the bribes being paid to Menendez through Nadine Menendez.”

The new charges also allege that Egyptian officials contacted Hana and Nadine Menendez to communicate sensitive information to Menendez.

“Robert Menendez, the defendant, further promised to take and took a series of acts on behalf of Egypt, including on behalf of Egyptian military and intelligence officials, and conspired to do so with [Hana] and Nadine Menendez the defendants, who also communicated requests and directives from Egyptian officials to [Bob] Menendez.”

Larry Lustberg, counsel for Hana in the matter, called the new allegations “absurd as it is false.”

“The new allegation that Wael Hana was part of a plot concocted over dinner to enlist Senator Menendez as an agent of the Egyptian Government is as absurd as it is false. As with the other charges in this indictment, Mr. Hana will vigorously defend against this baseless allegation.”

The initial indictment says Menendez, his wife Nadine, Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Dabies were involved in a corrupt bribery scheme that allowed the senator to use his influence for their gain in various different ways.

For example, he allegedly used his power and influence to benefit the Egyptian government and Hana, proving sensitive government information to aid the government of Egypt and also pressuring officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect a business monopoly for Hana, who has an exclusive USDA contract to provide halal meat to Egypt.

Overall, the original indictment charges that the Menendezes accepted corrupt payments for their mortgage, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300, $486,471 in cash, another $79,760 from the safe deposit box, two one-kilogram gold bars, and 11 one-ounce gold bars.

Menendez stepped down as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following last month’s federal charges, but has been steadfast that he has no plans to resign as senator, despite numerous Democratic leaders in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. asking him to.

In Hudson County, the local Democratic party has declined to ask their former chair, and also an ex-Union City mayor, to leave office, but a handful of electeds have bucked that trend.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a longtime political adversary of Menendez, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who may run against U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) next year, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, and Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon have all asked the senator to vacate his post.

All five defendants have pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court (the indictments come from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York) and a trial date has been set about one money before the 2024 primary, but that date it’s extremely unlikely to hold.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with a comment from Larry Lustberg, counsel for Wael Hana.