Senator Bob Menedez’s charges just keep adding up.
A new superseding federal indictment on Tuesday charges the senior Democratic senator from New Jersey and his wife, Nadine, with obstruction of justice, adding to previous indictments alleging the couple accepted bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s political position to benefit the governments of Qatar and Egypt.
It’s not the first Qatar-related indictment for Menendez. A superseding indictment in January already accused him of accepting lavish gifts in exchange for helping to secure an investment from a company with ties to Qatar to help New Jersey business tycoon Fred Dabies.
The latest charge claims that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accepted bribes to help the government of Qatar itself, engaging in a corrupt relationship with Dabies and two other New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe. Senator Menendez faces a dozen new counts, and 16 charges total, including obstruction of justice, bribery, and extortion.
The bribes came in the form of gold, cash, mortgage payments, a luxury vehicle, payments from a low- or no-show job, and other considerations, according to the latest indictment.
When Menedez was first indicted in October, he announced that he would not resign. While he has not yet made clear his reelection plans, he faces a tough primary challenge this June, with Representative Andy Kim and the state’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, both taking him on. Meanwhile, Menendez’s trial is due to start in May. A February poll shows him behind both Kim and Murphy.
