Federal investigators had a confidential informant who clandestinely recorded conversations involving Senator Bob Menendez, as revealed in a legal brief filed by prosecutors in the bribery case against the New Jersey Democrat.
In the 196-page document submitted Monday, prosecutors responded to the senator’s previous request to dismiss the charges, presenting “information from a particular confidential source.” This included recordings of discussions between Menendez and three New Jersey businessmen with connections to Egypt, as well as “draft translations of the recordings.”
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, stand accused of exchanging political favors for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. The senator vehemently denied any wrongdoing during a recent speech on the Senate floor, asserting his steadfast commitment to upholding the public trust.
While Menendez’s legal team portrayed him as a victim, alleging one businessman, Wael Hana, conducted fraudulent activities, prosecutors countered by affirming Menendez’s participation in a bribery scheme. Although acknowledging that Hana had deceived the Menendezes, prosecutors maintained that this did not absolve the senator of his involvement in the alleged criminal conduct.
According to details from the legal brief obtained by the New York Times, prosecutors argued that the evidence indicating Hana’s misappropriation of bribes actually substantiated the existence of the bribery scheme involving Menendez.
Menendez’s defense team has accused prosecutors of misconstruing standard legislative practices as criminal acts and disregarding constitutional protections afforded to members of Congress. A lawyer for Menendez expressed anticipation for the court’s evaluation of their motions, which aim to scrutinize the government’s handling of the case, asserting that the charges have been inflated and sensationalized.
