WASHINGTON — In a perplexing statement, Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey claimed on Monday that the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized by federal investigators from his home, as part of a probe that led to his bribery indictment, actually came from his own personal savings account.
“I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I keep for emergencies and in consideration of my family’s history of asset confiscation in Cuba,”
Menendez asserted during a press conference in Union, New Jersey.
“Now some may consider this approach old-fashioned, but these funds were lawfully derived from my personal savings account based on my legitimate income,”
the Democratic Senator added with peculiar conviction.
Despite calls from Gov. Phil Murphy and other prominent New Jersey Democrats to resign from the Senate, Menendez adamantly declared that he has no plans to step down.
Last week, Menendez, 69, and his wife, Nadine, were indicted on federal bribery charges in New York.
The charges against the couple include accepting bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz car, and mortgage payments from three New Jersey businessmen, who are also implicated in the case.
During a search of Menendez’s home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, last year, investigators discovered over $480,000 in cash that was hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe, according to the three-count indictment filed in Manhattan federal court.
Curiously, Menendez chose not to address the presence of gold bars, worth an estimated $155,000, found in his home during the 25-minute press conference.
Over $480,000 in cash, much of it hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe, was uncovered in Menendez’s residence. Additionally, more than $70,000 was found in Nadine Menendez’s safe deposit box.
Source: SDNY
When addressing the indictment against him, Menendez boldly stated, “Prosecutors are prone to errors.
“I fully realize that this will be my toughest battle yet,” he added, “but as I have consistently stated throughout this entire process, I firmly believe that once all the facts are presented, not only will I be proven innocent, but I will also retain my position as the senior senator of New Jersey.”
Menendez declined to respond to any questions from reporters at the press conference.
The latest indictment accuses Menendez of sharing classified U.S. government information with the Egyptian government and taking other actions that benefitted the nation in question.
Furthermore, it alleges that he attempted to use his political influence to obstruct investigations into two of the businessmen involved in the case and pressured a U.S. Agriculture Department official to protect a business monopoly for the third businessman, specifically in Egypt.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., speaks at a news conference after he and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted on bribery charges in Union City, New Jersey, on September 25, 2023.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Last Friday, Menendez referred to the charges as “an active smear campaign.”
“I am not going anywhere,” emphasized Menendez. “Those who believe in justice recognize the principle of innocence until proven guilty. I will continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same level of success I have had over the past five decades.”
Over the weekend, Menendez enlisted the services of attorney Abbe Lowell to represent him in this case.
Lowell previously defended Menendez during his federal corruption trial in 2017, resulting in a hung jury. Subsequently, the charges were dropped by prosecutors.
Lowell is also currently representing Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, in federal tax and firearm charge cases.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
