Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., faces new allegations of making positive comments about Qatar in exchange for luxury items in a superseding indictment returned on Tuesday in New York, ABC 7 reported.
The New Jersey Democrat, 69, has pleaded not guilty to all prior counts against him.
According to the new indictment, which was obtained by ABC 7, Menendez was offered high-end wristwatches, which were valued between $10,000 and $24,000.
Co-defendant Fred Daibes said, "How about one of these," in a message he sent to Menendez along with photos of the watches, the indictment said.
Prosecutors said Menendez and Daibes both attended an event on Sept. 27, 2021, hosted by the Qatari government in Manhattan.
Two days later, Daibes messaged Menendez about a Senate resolution that was supportive of Qatar as the Qatari Investment Company weighed investing in real estate with Daibes.
The Qataris were offering Menendez's wife, Nadine, tickets to the Formula One Grand Prix in Florida by March 2022, prosecutors said, and Daibes cut a multimillion dollar deal with the Qatari Investment Company in 2023.
According to the indictment, Menendez "continued to receive things of value" from the Qataris from then on.
In October, prosecutors filed new charges alleging the Garden State senator violated a prohibition on members of Congress from acting as an agent of a foreign government.
The previous superseding indictment said Menendez conspired with his wife and New Jersey businessman Wael Hana to have the senator act as an agent of Egypt.
Filed in Manhattan federal court, that indictment included four new charges and alleged the conspiracy occurred from January 2018 to June 2022. It was reportedly the first time a sitting member of Congress was charged with conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent.
Just weeks before the October indictment, Menendez and his wife were accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen who allegedly asked the Democrat lawmaker to exert his influence over foreign affairs. The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Authorities said they found more than $100,000 in gold bars and more than $48,000 in cash during a search of the Menendez's home in 2022.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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