(DCWatchdog.com) – A very-high profile case of Democrat corruption is now unraveling as court documents have revealed that long-time leftist US Senator Bob Menendez participated in a massive bribery scheme which saw his wife use a secret “007” phone and receive a $35,000 diamond ring.
The experienced New Jersey Democrat, aged 70, is said to have had dealings with Wael Hana, an Egyptian American business owner specializing in halal products.
However, their arrangement was reportedly on the verge of collapse when Hana tried to defraud Senator Menendez and his wife, Nadine, over the value of the engagement ring.
This information came to light in documents filed with the court recently, cited by The New York Post.
According to these papers, Menendez is accused of accepting $150,000 to interfere in a legal matter concerning insurance fraud.
Hana, who is facing charges alongside the Menendezes, was supposedly instructed to use part of the funds to buy a new Mercedes-Benz convertible for Nadine, in addition to a diamond ring valued at $35,000.
However, the prosecution alleges that Hana bought a ring worth only $12,000 and obtained a receipt for $35,000 by purchasing two watches, a bracelet, and a necklace for himself.
“The Hana associate also explained that Menendez knew that Hana shortchanged him with respect to the ring, and that Nadine Menendez … had taken the ring back to the jeweler and learned that it was worth less money,” the prosecution’s documents revealed.
“Wael … was about to ruin things with Bob. Bob who is starting to listen to us,” a confidential informant linked to Egyptian officials was quoted as saying.
Furthermore, the new Mercedes was intended as a replacement for the vehicle Nadine Menendez destroyed in an accident in Bogota in 2018, which resulted in a pedestrian’s death.
Last fall, both Bob and Nadine Menendez entered pleas of not guilty to federal allegations accusing them of accepting significant bribes, including large sums of cash and gold bars, from three businessmen based in New Jersey.
These bribes were allegedly in exchange for political favors. Additional charges suggest that Senator Menendez used his influential position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to favor Egyptian and Qatari interests.
The recent court filings also addressed the senator’s attempt to exclude evidence obtained during searches of his home, during which police found $200,000 in cash hidden in the basement and evidence suggesting the couple claimed gold bars found at their home were inherited.
