Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey is facing additional allegations of wrongdoing. A superseding indictment returned in New York has accused him of making positive comments about Qatar in exchange for valuable items, including luxury wristwatches.
According to the indictment, Menendez introduced a member of the Qatari royal family and a principal in a company with ties to the Qatari government to a New Jersey businessman before the company invested millions of dollars in the businessman’s real estate project.
The indictment also alleges that Menendez took actions that benefited Qatar in exchange for luxury wristwatches and other items of value.
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Co-defendant Fred Daibes sent Menendez a message along with photos of the watches, asking, “How about one of these?”
The watches were valued between $10,000 and $24,000. Menendez and Daibes had attended an event in Manhattan hosted by the Qatari government, which prosecutors believe to be connected to these allegations.
According to the superseding indictment, Senator Menendez “continued to receive things of value” from the Qataris.
The details of these benefits and their extent are not explicitly mentioned in the available information. However, the allegations suggest an ongoing relationship between Menendez and the Qatari Investment Company, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
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Senator Menendez has pleaded not guilty to all prior counts and has strongly denounced the charges against him. He is scheduled to stand trial in May, facing charges of conspiring to act as an agent of Egypt and other alleged offenses. Menendez’s defense team sought a two-month delay to allow for a thorough examination of the voluminous evidence presented.
Despite the allegations and impending trial, Menendez has made it clear that he will not step down from office.
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