Well, between what the House Oversight Committee has revealed about wire transfers and the Menendez case, there’s quite a bit of alleged corruption going on.
On September 26, 2023, Wael Hana, an Egyptian national and American citizen, made his initial appearance before a federal judge after being arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Hana is one of five individuals who have been indicted on corruption charges in a wide-ranging case involving Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
Prosecutors have charged Hana with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and he has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge granted his release on a $5 million personal recognizance bond and imposed strict conditions, including that he surrender his passport.
According to the federal indictment, Hana is accused of working with Menendez and his wife to facilitate meetings with Egyptian government officials in an effort to increase U.S. aid to Egypt. Hana had started a halal meat company, IS EG Halal, that the government alleges became the conduit for a stream of money to the senator. It is alleged that Menendez and his wife accepted cash, gold, payments for a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez was in a position to protect the business interests of the businessmen charged in the indictment. He faces a potential sentence of up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
Menendez’s co-defendants in the case are scheduled to make their appearances in court on Wednesday. The investigation into the alleged crimes is ongoing, and authorities are still examining whether any other individuals were involved.
There are continued calls for Menendez to resign but all he needs to say is, “when Biden resigns, I’ll resign.”
