In a passionate address to the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) vehemently criticized what he termed as his "persecution" by the Justice Department.
This follows fresh bribery allegations linking him to a Qatari real estate investment firm associated with the royal family of that nation.
"The United States Attorneys Office has embarked not on a prosecution, but a persecution. Their objective is a victory, not justice," Menendez proclaimed, referring to his second superseding indictment in the Southern District of New York.
Menendez criticized the government's strategy of filing three separate indictments, arguing that it was a tactic to keep the scandal in the media spotlight, taint potential jurors, and convict him in the court of public opinion. He argued that this approach not only harmed him but also his colleagues, the political establishment, and most importantly, the electorate of New Jersey.
The indictment filed on September 12 details allegations that the Democratic senator and his wife accepted bribes, including 13 gold bars, over $566,000 in cash, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, from three affluent businessmen from the Garden State.
Further charges on October 12 alleged that Menendez exploited his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations to act as an agent for the Egyptian government.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez received some of the cash and gold after introducing real estate developer Fred Daibes to a member of the Qatari ruling family in 2021, enabling Daibes to secure a deal with a Doha-linked firm, as indicated in the January 2 superseding indictment.
Daibes, along with businessmen Wael Hana and Jose Uribe, are named as co-defendants in each indictment, alongside Menendez's wife, Nadine. Menendez has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"There is no evidence of the giving or receiving of cash and gold bars. In fact, there will be a trial, a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues," Menendez inaccurately stated in his Senate floor speech.
He also incorrectly claimed that most people, including journalists who have reported on the case, have not read the indictment and have only accepted the government's sensational narrative of the allegations as truth.
The indictments have all been unsealed and are publicly available. Other reports have confirmed that the serial numbers on the gold bars seized from Menendezs home in June 2022 match those from other bars previously stolen from Daibes Edgewater residence in 2013.
Envelopes containing bundles of cash seized at Menendezs house were also found to have Daibes drivers fingerprints on them, according to the first unsealed indictment.
Menendez's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In his speech, the 70-year-old senator also dismissed charges of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government as another "outrageous accusation." He argued that prosecutors have suggested that lawmakers who "attract investment and economic opportunity to their states would now be committing a crime."
He further denied being "on the take with Egypt," citing his record of holding the Cairo government accountable for its human rights abuses. He suggested that his case demonstrates that "broad" charges could be filed against any government official under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Menendez concluded his speech by declaring his innocence and his intention to prove it, not just for himself, but for the precedent this case will set for future members of the Senate. He also stated that he would continue to ignore calls for his resignation, even those coming from fellow Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.).
"I am suffering greatly as a result of what they have done," he said, visibly emotional. "After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee. But I have never violated the public trust. I have been a patriot for my country."
If convicted on all charges, Menendez faces nearly as much time in federal prison as he has served in public office.
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