US Senator offers 'mother-in-law' defense for gold bars
It has been stated that US Senator Bob Menendez, in the context of bribery charges against him, claimed that the gold found in his home was left to his wife, Nadine (Arslanian) Menendez, by her mother.
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Prosecutors at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York have prepared 70 pages of additional documents to strengthen their request for an arrest warrant for Menendez, who is accused of bribery.
The additional documents, which present a great deal of new information, state that the US senator told an employee that the gold found during the search of his home was "left by his wife's late mother," a statement that matches exactly what Nadine Menendez told a jeweler.
The new documents note that approximately 500 thousand dollars in cash found in the Menendez family home was "seized in five bags hanging in a large closet."
BRIBERY INVESTIGATION INTO MENENDEZ AND HIS WIFE
In a 39-page indictment submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 22, Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine (Arslanian) Menendez, were charged with accepting bribes.
In addition to the gold bars and hidden cash found during the search of his home, the indictment highlighted Menendez's influence on official aid to Egypt during his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—a position that gave him a say over military aid to foreign countries—as well as his relationships with Egyptian-origin businesspeople and firms in New Jersey.
Menendez, who was forced to step down as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the day after the charges were filed, resisted pressure from his party and the public, stating that he would not resign from his seat in Congress.
The initial indictment against Menendez was later expanded to include charges of using his political position to gain benefits in favor of Qatar.
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrant parents, is known in the US Congress for his anti-Turkey stance and his proximity to the Greek and Armenian lobbies.
Menendez, who was at the forefront of those opposing the sale of F-16s to Turkey by the US, also frequently voiced his discomfort with Turkey's policies in the Mediterranean and the Aegean.