US Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey has been accused of conspiring to act as an agent of the Egyptian government. The accusations have been topped by calls for the resignation of the prominent Democrat from within the Democratic Party.
On Thursday (Oct 12), the US federal prosecutors formalised the charge against Menendez and his wife, alleging that the two of them conspired to have the senator act as a foreign agent of Egypt.
Bob Menendez an Egyptian agent in the US? What is the row all about?
The charges center on Menendez’s violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which mandates the registration of individuals acting on behalf of foreign entities.
The alleged conspiracy occurred from January 2018 to June 2022, with Menendez accused of taking actions on behalf of Egypt, including its military and intelligence officials.
Also watch | US: Democrat Senator Bob Menendez charged for corruption
The indictment also implicates Menendez’s wife, Nadine, and a business associate, Wael Hana, and accuses them to have conveyed directives from Egyptian officials.
Calls for Menendez’s resignation grew after this superseding indictment, with Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania advocating for his expulsion, citing concerns about an alleged foreign agent serving in the US Senate.
What next?
An actual vote for Menendez’s expulsion from the US Senate appears unlikely at this stage, given that the case had not yet proceeded to a trial.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refrained from calling for Menendez’s resignation and remained silent on the new charges, Associated Press reported.
Senator Menendez’s track-record in spotlight
This latest charge followed previous accusations that Menendez and his wife accepted bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a luxury car, from New Jersey businessmen who sought to leverage the senator’s influence in foreign affairs.
Menendez, who once chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was accused of secretly aiding Egyptian officials by ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators, encouraging the release of $300 million in aid to Egypt. He quit the chairmanship after the earlier indictment.
How indictment attempts to establish Menendez’s purported links with Egypt?
The indictment revealed details of a meeting with an Egyptian intelligence official in Menendez’s Senate office, where discussions about a US citizen injured in a 2015 Egyptian military airstrike took place. Some members of Congress had raised concerns about awarding military aid to Egypt in light of this incident.
Following the meeting, prosecutors allege, Menendez searched the name of the injured American.
One week later, the Egyptian official texted Hana in Arabic stating if Menendez helped resolve the issue, “he will sit very comfortably.” Menendez’s business associate Wael Hana, also implicated in the indictment, replied, “orders, consider it done,” CNN reported.
Further scrutiny involved Menendez’s alleged interference in two criminal cases and efforts to advocate for Egyptian interests.
It was claimed that he sought to increase American involvement in negotiations concerning the Nile River dam, a significant foreign policy issue for Egypt.
This indictment also unveiled a series of text messages, including encrypted communications on Hana’s cellphone with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, addressing various topics, including Menendez.
Notably, the indictment stated that Nadine Menendez began her interactions with Egyptian officials in 2018, coinciding with her relationship with the senator.
Both Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Hana pleaded not guilty to charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery.
Menendez’s defence
Menendez has defended his actions, claiming he had not engaged in anything unusual for a senator involved in foreign affairs.
“I have been, throughout my life, loyal to only one country — the United States of America, the land my family chose to live in democracy and freedom,” he added. “Piling new charge upon new charge does not make the allegations true… I again ask people who know me and my record to give me the chance to present my defense and show my innocence.”
Hana’s attorney Lawrence Lustberg also rejected the new allegations.
“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,” Lustberg said. “As with the other charges in this indictment, Mr. Hana will vigorously defend against this new and baseless allegation.”
Amid these accusations, authorities had searched Menendez’s home last year and had reportedly found over $100,000 worth of gold bars and more than $480,000 in cash, concealed in various places, including closets, clothing, and a safe.
In the recent years, the US Justice Department had intensified its enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a 1938 law designed to uncover Nazi propaganda in the United States, which mandates the disclosure of individuals advocating, lobbying, or conducting public relations work on behalf of foreign governments or political entities.
Notably, the new indictment revealed that Menendez himself had requested multiple investigations from 2020 to 2022, urging the US to hold former members of Congress accountable for failing to register as foreign agents.
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