Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has hired attorneys from Hunter Biden's legal team to assist him in his defense after he was indicted by federal authorities last week for corruption and bribery.
According to CNBC, the Democrat senator hired Abbe Lowell to represent him. Lowell, who was also hired by Hunter Biden following the collapse of his sweetheart deal this summer, was a` lso employed by Menendez in 2015 after corruption charges were brought against him.
As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, the New Jersey Democrat told reporters at a press conference on Monday that he would be seeking reelection to the upper chamber in 2024 despite multiple Democrats, including the New Jersey governor, calling for his resignation.
The indictment against Sen. Menendez was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York last week and alleges that the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee accepted over $700,000 in bribes from businessmen in exchange for aiding the government of Egypt via his powerful chairmanship. As the head of the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez had significant power in determining whether or not Egypt received foreign aid.
The three men who bribed Menendez include Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes who paid off the senator in order to enrich themselves and aid Egypt.
The indictment alleges that $480,000 in cash was found at Menendez's residence last year in envelopes throughout the house. The senator's wife Nadine Menendez, who has also been indicted, also had around $70,000 in a safe deposit box. In addition to the mountains of cash, the Democrat also accepted a luxury Mercedez Benz car and gold bars valued at over $100,000 from the men. Menendez claims that the cash found in his home was from previous withdraws over a 30-year period.
“The indictment alleges that Senator Menendez used his power and influence, including his leadership role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to benefit the government of Egypt in various ways,” U.S. Attorney for the South District of New York Damian Williams said. “Among other actions, Senator Menendez allegedly provided sensitive, nonpublic U.S. government information to Egyptian officials and otherwise took steps to secretly aid the government of Egypt.”
“We also allege that Senator Menendez improperly pressured a senior official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect a lucrative monopoly that the government of Egypt had awarded to Hana, a lucrative monopoly that Hana then used to fund certain bribe payments,” he added.
Following the indictment, the Democrat released a statement that echoes his comments during the Monday presser. “I have worked every day to repay their trust by fighting to create jobs, strengthen public safety, update infrastructure, and reduce costs for New Jersey families,” his statement read. “I have also stood steadfast against dictators around the globe – whether they be in Iran, Cuba, Turkey, or elsewhere – fighting against the forces of appeasement and standing with those who stand for freedom and democracy. I remain focused on continuing this important work and will not be distracted by baseless allegations.”
“It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere," he added.
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