American senator Menendez and his wife are accused of bribery

In the USA, a criminal trial has begun in the case of Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine. The couple has been charged with large-scale bribery. Earlier, during searches of their house, cash in the amount of about 500 thousand dollars, as well as jewelry and a luxury car were found. Spouses, as it is claimed, could not prove the legal origin of the money.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Menendez could receive bribes from three businessmen from New Jersey in exchange for lobbying their interests, as well as the interests of the Egyptian government in the field of receiving military aid from the United States.

The first searches of the Menendez family took place in June of last year. The police found envelopes with the spouses’ surnames written in the closets and pockets of clothes, with cash in the amount of 480 thousand dollars, and in Nadine Menendez’s safe – another 70 thousand. The fingerprints of one of the businessmen and his driver were found on them. Gold bars worth about one hundred thousand dollars and luxury items were also found. In addition, with the help of businessmen, according to the investigation, Nadine Menedes was fictitiously employed in a high-paying job for which she did not actually appear.

The senator has not yet commented on the charges.

This is Menendez’s second accusation of corruption in 10 years. Earlier, a criminal case was opened against him on a similar charge, but in 2018 the court closed the case after the jury could not reach an agreement on the guilt of the senator.

• Bob Menendez has been a member of the Senate from the Democratic Party since 2006. He is an influential supporter of the current US President Joe Biden and heads the Senate Committee on International Relations. Menendez was one of the authors of the laws on sanctions against Russia and its President Vladimir Putin after the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.