US Senator Bob Menendez found guilty in Egypt-linked corruption trial
Prominent US Senator Bob Menendez was convicted on Tuesday on all 16 criminal counts he was facing during his months-long corruption trial involving Egyptian officials and businessmen.
The sentencing hearing for Menendez, who previously chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will take place on 29 October, a week before he is planning to run as an Independent, and not a Democrat, to try and secure another six-year term in the Senate. The senator pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The focus of the case was a multi-layered bribery scheme involving Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, Egyptian-American businessman Wael Hana and a number of Egyptian officials.
Menendez and his wife had accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and mortgage payments, and in exchange, the lawmaker helped make sure Egypt was getting billions of dollars in US aid.
The prosecutors in the case also accused Menendez of being involved in another bribery scheme involving a halal certification company.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
They said that Hana, the Egyptian-American businessman, gave Nadine Menendez $10,000 per month, and in exchange, Senator Menendez worked to stop the US government from critically examining Hana's company, IS EG Halal, which certified halal meat for export to the US. IS EG Halal, a New Jersey start-up, had exclusive control over the certification of halal food exports from the US to Egypt.
A $60,000 Mercedes-Benz convertible gifted to Nadine was part of the multifaceted corruption scheme, according to prosecutors.
During one incident between Menendez and Hana, which was revealed during the trial, prosecutors said the senator disclosed to Hana non-public information about US military aid to Egypt, which included the lifting of a ban on small arms and ammunition. Hana later informed an Egyptian official.
In another, prosecutors say that Senator Menendez ghost-wrote a letter on behalf of the Egyptian government seeking to convince US senators to release a hold on $300m in aid to Egypt.
Calls for Menendez's resignation
Menendez has been a prominent voice in American politics for decades and was a leading Democrat regarding foreign policy before stepping down from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September.
He served as an ally to US President Joe Biden's foreign policy agenda, and in addition to supporting US aid to Egypt, Menendez also was a staunch critic of Turkey, opposing major weapons sales to Ankara.
Since stepping down from his leadership role, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland has taken over the post.
Menendez's conviction affirms the downfall of his three-decade-long political career. While he still plans to run in the upcoming November election, his chances are slim, with him running outside of the Democratic Party and also having to combat the conviction and potential jail time that could follow.
Senate leadership was quick to respond to the trial. Senator Chuck Schumer and Menendez's fellow New Jersey Senator, Corey Booker, called on him to resign altogether.
Menendez needs to "do what is right for his constituents, the Senate and our country", Schumer said.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has called on the US Senate to move to remove Menendez if he does not voluntarily leave office.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
