John, after a yearlong corruption probe, Senator Robert Menendez was indicted on federal bribery charges.

The indictment alleges that Senator Menendez and his wife received hundreds of thousands of dollars and also gifts – including gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage and a luxury vehicle, to name a few – in return for the senator using his influence to benefit several New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government.

Senator Menendez even allegedly provided sensitive U.S. government information and directed military aid to Egypt.

CREW has raised concerns for years about Menendez using his position in Congress for corrupt purposes, and the Senate Ethics Committee previously found serious misconduct by him. With these latest revelations it is not appropriate for him to remain in office. As we said publicly Friday morning, it’s time for Senator Menendez to resign.

Senator Menendez has so far said he would not resign and claimed that the evidence would exonerate him. Although he deserves a presumption of innocence, given these serious charges and the corruption questions that have followed him for years, he should reconsider and leave the Senate immediately.

In 2018, Egyptian businessman Wael Hana hosted Senator Menendez and his then-girlfriend at a high-end restaurant. Menendez provided him with nonpublic information about military aid from the U.S. to Egypt, and their relationship continued from there, according to the indictment.

The alleged bribery is vividly illustrated in the indictment, including a June 2022 search of the Menendez home that uncovered $480,000 in cash with "much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe." Investigators also found gold bars worth more than $100,000. Prosecutors included photos of the cash and gold bars they seized:

Thank you,

Noah Bookbinder
President
CREW