New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menedez was indicted on international corruption charges Friday, years after he accused former President Trump of “compromising” with the Russian government.
“For the past two years, many of us have been grappling with some very difficult questions about the president.” Menendez said “This is a question I never could have imagined asking any American president, much less saying it out loud on the floor of the Senate.
“I’m talking about a perfectly legitimate question: whether Donald Trump can be compromised by the Russian government.”
Menendez continued: “This is more than just a legitimate question, it’s a legitimate question that comes to mind every time we learn about President Trump, his associates, and his ties to the Russian government.”
Federal government investigating whether Menendez or his wife received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold from felons: report
Senator Bob Menendez (left) and former President Trump. (Getty Images)
Menendez gave a lengthy speech outlining the allegations against Trump, saying the possibility of corruption “keeps me up at night.”
On Friday, Menendez indicted by the federal government Bribery in which the senator and his wife allegedly accepted cash, gold bars, luxury cars and other bribes for various corrupt activities, including having the Democratic Party use their influence in foreign affairs to benefit Egypt’s authoritarian government. About sin.
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez establishes defense fund amid criminal investigation into gifts to wife: Report
New Jersey Democratic senators Robert Menendez (right) and Nadine Menendez arrive to attend a state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Ting Sheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Prosecutors say a search of the couple’s home uncovered $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash, about a day after an earlier criminal case against the 69-year-old Democrat ended with a deadlocked jury. This is the first time in six years that an indictment has been announced.
“For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly tried to silence my voice and dig me a political grave,” Menendez said in a press release Friday. “Since this study was leaked almost a year ago, a smear campaign has been active with anonymous sources and innuendo to create an atmosphere of injustice where none exists.”
“To my supporters, friends, and community at large, I would like to remind you that the prosecutor made the wrong decision and ask you to suspend judgment. All the facts have been presented and my opinion I am confident that once this is revealed, this matter will be successfully resolved.”My fellow New Jerseyans will see this for what it is. ”
Sen. Bob Menendez (DN.J.) arrives to attend a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. senators at the Capitol, Thursday, September 21, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
During April, Menendez establishes legal defense fund To help pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs related to a federal criminal investigation.
Joe Schoffstall of The Associated Press and Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
