Feds investigating if Menendez and wife got gifts including D.C. apartment, Mercedes and jewelry
The Department of Justice is investigating whether New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and his wife received expensive gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz, luxury D.C. apartment, money, and jewelry from the owner or associates of an Edgewater, N.J., business that won an exclusive contract to perform Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government. The investigation is looking into whether the gifts were improperly taken by the senator and his wife and whether Menendez took any action in return.
NBC News legal analyst Chuck Rosenberg said that the prosecutors would want to look at whether the gifts were given to the senator or someone close to him in return for one of his official acts. The investigation is being carried out by Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation agents.
IS EG Halal, the Edgewater firm in question, was awarded an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government in 2019 to certify Halal meat exports worldwide, even though the firm had no previous experience in this field. Seven longtime companies across the globe were suddenly fired by the Egyptian government, and those firms lost millions in business to the Edgewater firm. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officers based in Egypt have turned over related documents to the Justice Department as part of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation has grown in scope in the past couple of weeks, with new subpoenas sent out to North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. The subpoenas do not seem related to any IS EG Halal-related matter but separate questions regarding the senator and state legislation relating to a proposed development deal.
FAQs:
What is Senator Robert Menendez being investigated for?
The Department of Justice is investigating whether Menendez and his wife received expensive gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz, luxury D.C. apartment, money, and jewelry from the owner or associates of IS EG Halal in exchange for official acts.
Who is conducting the investigation?
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, along with FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation agents, is conducting the investigation.
What is IS EG Halal?
IS EG Halal is an Edgewater, N.J., business that won an exclusive contract to perform Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government in 2019, even though the firm had no previous experience in this field.
Why are USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officers involved in the investigation?
Foreign Agricultural Service officers based in Egypt have turned over related documents to the Justice Department as part of the ongoing investigation.
What are the new subpoenas about?
The new subpoenas do not seem related to any IS EG Halal-related matter but separate questions regarding the senator and state legislation relating to a proposed development deal.
Investigation Conducted by Federal Authorities on Whether Menendez and Wife were Given Gifts such as a D.C. Apartment, a Mercedes, and Jewelry
The Department of Justice is currently conducting an investigation into allegations that New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez and his wife received expensive gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz, a luxury apartment in Washington D.C., money, and jewelry, from the owner or associates of a New Jersey-based business that won an exclusive contract to perform Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government. Sources familiar with the matter have revealed that investigators are looking into whether the gifts were given in return for any official action by Senator Menendez, who is the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that oversees billions of dollars in aid to Egypt.
While the gifts are said to be valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, none of the items appear on Menendez’s Senate disclosure forms. According to Senate rules, gifts to a member or someone close to him are considered gifts if a senator “has reason to believe the gift was given because of the official position.”
IRS criminal investigators are also examining whether the alleged gifts were properly accounted for on tax filings by the senator and his wife. In addition to investigating a possible quid-pro-quo scheme, the FBI is looking into whether any representatives of the New Jersey-based business paid any bribes to Egyptian officials.
IS EG Halal, the business in question, won the exclusive contract for the certification of Halal meat exports in 2019, even though it had no previous experience in the field, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, who also reported that the firm had “no preexisting relationship with the US beef industry or Islamic organizations.” Peter Paradis, former deputy assistant inspector general at the USDA, described the move as “defying logic.”
The U.S. Supreme Court has recently issued a series of decisions narrowing the definition of public corruption. In 2018, criminal charges against Menendez were dropped after a separate corruption trial had ended in a hung jury. The allegations in that case were that Menendez took gifts and free private jet trips from Salomon Melgen, who has since been convicted of Medicare fraud.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams is overseeing the current criminal probe, which appears to have grown in scope in recent weeks. After a new round of grand jury subpoenas, including one to North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, it now includes separate questions relating to the senator and state legislation concerning a proposed development deal. A spokesperson for Menendez declined to comment on any of the allegations, citing the ongoing “inquiry.”