At Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial, prosecutors spotlight his spouse’s determined funds

Prosecutors at Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial confirmed jurors tons of of texts, emails and telephone calls over two days that present his girlfriend-turned-wife’s determined monetary scenario earlier than New Jersey businessmen she had lengthy identified got here to the rescue.

Prosecutors elicited the proof via the testimony of an FBI agent for a second day Wednesday as they sought to indicate that Menendez, 70, conspired with three businessmen and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, 57, in a bribery scheme that enriched the couple with gold bars, tons of of hundreds of {dollars} in money and a luxurious automotive.

The Menendezes and two of the businessmen have pleaded not responsible, whereas the third pleaded responsible and is scheduled to testify. Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed till July after she was identified with breast most cancers.

By means of the lengthy presentation of communications that was anticipated to proceed into Thursday, prosecutors have sought to hint the connection between Menendez and the girl he started courting in early 2018, identified then as Nadine Arslanian.

Prosecutors say the trajectory of the connection coincided with a bribery scheme that led the senator to assist one businessman and codefendant, Wael Hana, win an unique contract with Egypt to certify all meat exported there from the US as assembly spiritual necessities, whereas aiding two different businessmen financially and by serving to them receive favorable outcomes with felony instances in New Jersey.

Jurors noticed some textual content messages Wednesday through which Menendez and Arslanian exchanged loving sentiments, with a kissing or coronary heart emoji. In a single message Arslanian advised the senator: “You may by no means lose me as a result of I’ll by no means let go.”

Different communications confirmed that through the summer time of 2019, Arslanian was at risk of shedding her house in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, after lacking almost $20,000 in mortgage funds.

Hana offered the cash to avoid wasting the house, the place Menendez moved after marrying Arslanian in 2020. Prosecutors say the cash was a part of bribes the couple obtained because the senator helped Hana’s firm safe its monopoly on the certifying of meat exports to Egypt.

Protection legal professionals say Menendez did nothing exterior the bounds of what politicians sometimes do for constituents. The 13 gold bars present in a 2022 FBI raid on the house belonged to Nadine Menendez, they are saying, and the explanation there was $480,000 in money stuffed in jackets, packing containers and a protected was as a result of the senator was traumatized by the lack of his household’s fortune earlier than he was born.

Menendez has additionally mentioned via his legal professionals that his spouse saved him at the hours of darkness about her monetary troubles and he did nothing unlawful.

Amongst different fees, Menendez is accused of appearing as a international agent of Egypt. After his fall arrest, he was compelled to give up his highly effective put up as chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee.