I love the way this article begins. Unlike the other news reports I've seen, it doesn't forefront all the cash and gold found in Menendez's house. It sets up a woman-made-him-do-it narrative. We begin in January 2018, when Menendez had avoided conviction on federal bribery charges. There was a hung jury, and the government declined to pursue a new trial. "He was free...." He could return to his Senatorial career. But then:
Weeks later, he started dating Nadine Arslanian. Ms. Arslanian, who would eventually marry Mr. Menendez, quickly introduced him to one of her longtime friends: Wael Hana, an Egyptian American businessman in New Jersey. The future Ms. Menendez was eager to connect her influential new boyfriend with Mr. Hana’s high-level connections in the Egyptian government. What unfolded in the next four years is what prosecutors described on Friday as a sprawling corruption scheme that would ensnare the halal meat industry, American military aid to Egypt and the appointment of a top New Jersey law enforcement official. Prosecutors accused Mr. Menendez, 69, of abusing his power to influence arms sales to Egypt and to attempt to interfere with criminal investigations into Mr. Hana’s web of business associates....
Ms. Menendez, 56, often pestered her associates for more bribe payments, prosecutors said, and did not hesitate to peacock her husband’s influence, once sending a news article to Mr. Hana about $2.5 billion of military sales to Egypt and writing, “Bob had to sign off on this.”...
That made me think of Hunter Biden.
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This asshole is as corrupt as hell. He makes me sick. Using race to try to shame the people who want the corruption ended is ridiculous. It is time for the corrupt to get what they deserve...good and hard. I am ASHAMED that the people in my state keep voting for this creep...
Hmmm… a crooked, mobbed-up politician from NJ…
In other news…
"That made me think of Hunter Biden."
Except that he made more money, peddled more power, and paid for sex.
Bitch set me up.
Now where have I heard that excuse before?
So behind every terrible man is a terrible woman?
Cairo corruption is at a higher level than you can believe. But it works to keep the place relatively peaceful by keeping the coptics working hard in exchange for not being murdered as fast by the Mohammedans.
The interesting thing about our politicians grabbing a cut from the deluge of aid money they dump all over the world to buy Allies is that it is normal. The disaster comes from those allies funding the destruction of the USA with our own money.
Trump wanted to shut that insanity down and now he is personally fighting the entire system. Brave man.
I don’t want Bob to resign. By staying in office and running for re-election, he reminds the world how corrupt the Dems are.
This idiot should have taken his bribes in Bitcoin.
"In this country, it is good to prosecute a fellow corruptocrat from time to time to encourage the others."
Prosecuting Menendez has two benefits. 1) It gives Garland and his media schphincter-lickers something to point to so he can claim to be impartially enforcing the law.
2) It reminds those who may be considering turning on his boss that they all live in glass houses.
“Now where have I heard that excuse before?“
Genesis 3:12?
"Except that he made more money, peddled more power, and paid for sex."
Oh, wow! You got it backward. Arslanian is the Hunter.
I expect Bob M. to use the Joe Biden defense: He wasn't aware of what his family member was doing and how his name was getting used.
Arslanian is the Hunter.
Now you've made me think of that awful GTR song from the 1980s, "The Hunter". Thanks a lot!
When an aide to Senator Robert Menendez requested that then VP-Biden host the U.S.-Spain Council's 2010 annual meeting at his official Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, he contacted Hunter Biden's business partner rather than Joe's White House office.
12:28 PM · Sep 22, 2023
Twix via instapundit
John Henry
So which politicians are we allowed to indict or prevented from indicting based on just alleging that the charges are “political?” Or can we expect that the many Trump indictments will now be given fair, equal treatment here in the same way that Menendez’s are? That would be nice to see.
"judge a Latino and push him out of his seat"
When they pull the race/ethnicity/sex card, that's pretty much an admission they did it.
Hmmm… a crooked, mobbed-up politician from NJ…
Actually, Iman, Don Trump is from Queens NY. Close.
You know, Trump. The guy who wanted “his” (not “the people’s) attorney general to be like his idol - infamous mob lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn represented Fat Tony Salerno, Carmine Galante and John Gotti. I guess you could say Trump had the foresight to identify with these other clients of his and knew he’d need his services too one day.
Menéndez is chairman of the Foreign Relations committee. It’s not just any old seat.
That made me think of Hunter Biden
We'll see how the press sets up the Menendez case. If presented as here to lead people to conclude that obviously he was also involved, the trap will be set.
“I expect Bob M. to use the Joe Biden defense: He wasn't aware of what his family member was doing and how his name was getting used.”
The wife thao gaveth me put the gold in my pockets and I… just didn’t know… until the Feds claimed they found it there.
"Arslanian is the Hunter."
True. Certainly as an infuence peddler.
But first impressions also suggest that Menendez was more involved than Joe in promoting his "brand" and history suggests he has Hunteresque sexual proclivities.
WIth the Menendez indictment, are Democrats finally closing the corruption gap?
Menendez will hang this jury, too, and it is one of the reasons the DoJ felt ok about letting the case go forward. Bob will take one for the team, and his legal bills will be paid for under the table.
Ten or so paragraphs in, when I stopped reading, Menendez's political party had not been identified. Just an oversight I'm sure.
The first several comments decry political corruption, including GOP corruption. None mention QuidProJoe, Hunter or the Clintons although one mentions LBJ and "Sprio" (sic.).
Delusions run strong with NYT readers.
Cue the joke about the guy who insists he didn't get the radio announcer's job "Because I'm J-J-J-J-J-Jewish."
"It is not lost on any of us how quickly someone is rushing to claim being a Latino as a reason to deflect blame on what is clearly a mountain of evidence proving deep-seated corruption, and a pattern of behavior that has been evident for years. How often does the slimeball claim his Latino Pride, and show what a supportive member of the Latino community he is? Never heard it once.
"This idiot should have taken his bribes in Bitcoin. "
What makes you think he didn't? He just didn't take all of them in bitcoin.
The first several comments decry political corruption, including GOP corruption. None mention QuidProJoe, Hunter or the Clintons although one mentions LBJ and "Sprio" (sic.).
Exhibit A that pardoning Nixon spread a brazenness in right-wing partisan hackery to epidemic proportions. They seriously have no concept of the difference between politics and law or criminality. Let’s hope Trump’s 90+ count indictments and all the ethically compromised lawyers he’s taking down with him disabuse them of that notion.
They remind me of Christopher Moltisanti when he pledged to follow Tony Soprano into the gates of Hell. Conformist loyalty over any ethics, and it’s finally about to come crashing down. Praise be.
An accusation of racism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
"Arslanian is the Hunter."
Arslanian:Hunter::Hunter:Gatherer
Or maybe a Venn Diagram work better?
Alas, Senor puddin' life is not like an episode of the "Sopranos".
That made me think of Hunter Biden
Menendez' wife was put on payroll for a business belonging to Egypt born businessman Wael Hana.
Joe Biden was also the Chair or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years before he was VP.
I bet there's some bad blood between Joe Biden and Menendez and that's why they choose Menendez to be thrown to the wolves.
This is some sort of set-up for something else.
Menendez has been a crook for decades.
It used to be a Sunday tradition. Take gold bars from Egyptian "businessmen" in exchange for political favors and then head to the Newark airport for burgers and scotch. Maybe if the airport booze wasn’t so damn expensive, New Jersey Senators wouldn’t have to stash gold bars in their basement.
Diversity, Infidelity, and Corruption (DIC)
He's more of a "white Hispanic".
“So behind every terrible man is a terrible woman?“
I’m afraid Kevin has it backwards. Oppenheimer was always behind Barbie at the box office.
Menéndez fell for the woman who would become his wife when she said to him in her best Mae West voice, “Is that gold in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”
"Arslanian was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and both of her parents are Armenian. During the Lebanese civil war they fled to Greece, then to London, and then moved to the United States, she said."
Oh a refugee!
"Arslanian told the publication they were introduced by the owner of the IHOP and she wasn’t aware the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was a U.S. senator at the time."
Of course she didn't know who NJ's senior senator was.....
https://www.nj.com/politics/2023/09/who-is-nadine-arslanian-5-things-to-know-about-indicted-wife-of-sen-robert-menendez.html
I guess Bob didn't have a trusted son to act as bag man. Bob had another close call involving a trafficked minor, which went away too. Probably because he is Hispanic Democrat, and only Republicans are ever guilty of any crimes.
But it works to keep the place relatively peaceful by keeping the coptics working hard in exchange for not being murdered as fast by the Mohammedans.
========
while together they triangulate Jewish state demise + pay-off to hold off?
Well, then. Good for Hunter that his Dad was raised as a Puerto Rican.
OK, will someone please explain to me why Hispanics* are a protected class like blacks?
Blacks I get...slavery, etc. Leaving my personal opinion out of it, you can make an argument that they had a tough start here in the US.
But 'Hispanics?' Why not Italians? Indians (dot)? Australians?
Is it because they score lower on IQ tests?
*Btw, this term is useless as it is applied to Spanish nobility and Mestizo peasants alike...
He'll get off because if the legal system ever tuns just again he'd be one of the first to hang...
"...and his legal bills will be paid for under the table."
I'm fairly certain there's a well known provision for payment the legal bills of the Congressional Hall of Shamers. Than again, The US Treasury is quite under the table nowadays...
There is no question that Menendez is utterly corrupt. This has been known for a long time. Unfortunately, he runs in a state where the winner of the Democratic primary will win, being corrupt is only a benefit to winning the primary, and if he or she won't win then the courts will allow a last minute substitution in violation of state law and decency.
The only reason Menendez is the target is (a) he's not very subtle about his corruption and (b) he occasionally does not fall into line, especially on foreign policy. Given that Biden is a foreign policy expert of the lowest possible degree, you can see the problem.
No underage girls this time? That's an improvement.
There have been 55 politicians from jersey convicted of corruption. Chris Christie put a bunch of them in jail as THE one US attorney in NJ. It's how he became the governor and afterwards, his notoriety came from being a smart ass Yankee politician
We’re about five minutes from “corruption by Latinos is a cultural tradition, and you’re a bigot for opposing it”.
Menendez opposes Iran appeasement that Joe loves. So he’s expendable
Menendez will not (at least to an honest person) be able to claim ignorance since his wife sent him numerous texts about the business she was working on on his behalf. She must have been willing to do all kinds of things for him in bed to accomplish all they did.
But……Dems are not honest &will do anything to get one of their own off. Maybe another hung jury?
Or will she flip on him? Get him in jail and then get a divorce to move on to her next conquest. She seems like the type.
"It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere."
Trump was practically being impeached before he took office, and he's a white guy.
Just sayin'.
"Donald Trump is from Queens, NY.
"Hey hosepudding, this post is not about Trump. Which begs the question, just how gleefully ignorant are you?
Now do Dr. Jill Biden
When he was in school he claimed bigotry hate his homework.
When he was in school he claimed bigots ate his homework.
Althouse commented that the Menendez fiasco made her think of Hunter Biden.
As I commented in another thread, Bob and Nadine remind me of Clarence Thomas and Ginni:
In other words, what if Clarence and wife Ginni just happen to get a luxury car, gold bars, and an apartment on the side from one of his many “friends?” Well, we already have been shown evidence of tuition assistance, Mom's free house, his free motorhome, all those free vacations, free rides on airplanes, Ginni's Liberty Central business funding, and now his take home from the Koch Brothers frequent donor network events turn out to be unreported and illegal.
Menendez has always held himself to a high level of corruption. His parents came from Cuba: he was born here and went to Rutgers, hardly the story of an oppressed minority.
His current corruption case -- as with his others, is a lot like Hunter Biden's, and just as cartoonish. He gave Egyptian businessmen sensitive information and senate-related favors and got bribes from them. Unlike another politician, he didn't hide the loot in his freezer: he hid it in his extra pants. Pretty sad stuff, like his infamous love life, which featured more than one very public Bachelor-like proposal. And he hired an illegal immigrant sex offender to work on sanctuary city issues in the Senate -- then somehow the feds delayed exposing the aide and deporting him until after a sensitive election. Most people don't realize how many foreigners are working for powerful elected officials on Capitol Hill.
These are jobs only Americans should do.
Besides the Bidens, Menendez is currently the biggest mark in Washington for corrupt foreign governments. Hillary and Menendez are particularly close too and share the tendency to surround themselves with the offspring of terrorist or plutocrat foreigners.
This status also once belonged to Jeb! Bush, who ran foreign government "consultation" rackets like this using his father's influence long before he became an elected official himself. Jeb and Bob both have gold-brick tastes in tacky foreign-born women who break international laws. Jeb and Hunter both used daddy's foreign policy influence to line their pockets. Jeb isn't an addict himself, but his kids and wife are deeply screwed up.
The Clintons, Bushes, Menendez, Bidens, Rubio -- the bipartisan list of pay-for-play with foreigners is endless, and the consequence is that we have flushed our industries and our borders to benefit corrupt players serving foreign interests in both Parties. Closing the borders and making American politicians work for Americans is the issue of the next election.
Gadfly: the most ironic commentary on Thomas this week comes courtesy of Elena Kagan, who "demurred" to discuss Thomas directly while "talking" ethics (and inappropriately addressing issues before the court) -- while being wined and dined by yet another leftist academic cabal at Notre Dame.
The president of Notre Dame Law School joked about how he wished there were people around to oppose the KKK today. Kagan snickered.
Universities, law schools, and Soros-funded non-profits are by far the biggest "donors" illicitly greasing Supreme Court types. They gussy up their bennies, first-class travel, and financial enrichment with a veneer of "intellectual" pursuits like conferences, and award ceremonies (as do other donors), but it's all graft. They sure don't give out those honorary degrees at the local HoJo's.
It was a better world when judges and academics were expected to make real sacrifices to scholarship and justice by living like monks, or at least aspiring to do so.
The Kochs are openly in your camp now -- and always secretly have been, as their three main issues are radically opening borders, legalizing all drugs, and opposing law enforcement. They're rank leftists. Have been since the Seventies.
Enjoy them. You have everything except fossil fuel in common. And we're both using fossil fuel to dicker here, so you must not oppose it much.
Menendez does have a son who represents NJ's 8th district, a concave Hispanic majority gerrymandering.
Even if he is clean, that's too much political office in one family.
Democrats would never try to push him out if he were a LatinX Senator and not a Latino Senator. Though woke lefties should take note. When the Senator is under fire and looking for support from a loyal base, he calls himself a Latino Senator and not a LatinX Senator. Presumably this shows what actual Latino, Democrat voters think of the term LatinX, at least it shows what the opportunity oriented Senator's perception of that is.
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