According to the indictment, federal agents searched Menendez’s home in June 2022 and recovered more than $100,000 in gold bars and a luxury car provided by their business associates. The indictment includes photos of gold bars and other loot found in Menendez’s home. It also says Menendez and Arslanian conducted internet searches for “how much is one kilo of gold worth.”

Federal agents found fingerprints of one of Menendez’s associates, Fred Daibes, on cash discovered in the search of Menendez’s home. Investigators found more than $480,000 “stuffed into envelopes” and hidden in Menendez’s closets, a safe, and clothing, including jackets embroidered with Menendez’s name. …

Starting in 2019, Menendez began helping Hana obtain U.S. government licenses for a halal meat company that sought business in Egypt. The Democrat pressured officials at the Department of Agriculture to allow Hana’s company to maintain a monopoly on the export of halal meat to Egypt. Hana used the company to fund the bribes he paid to Menendez and Arslanian, prosecutors allege.

Menendez used his power and influence to disrupt investigations into two of his associates in New Jersey, businessmen Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes. He interfered with the New Jersey attorney general’s office in an investigation against Uribe, an associate of Hana who is also indicted in the case. Menendez contacted prosecutors in the New Jersey attorney general’s office regarding an investigation that implicated Uribe.

[I suspect that will satisfy the quid pro quo requirements set out in the SCOTUS decision in the Bob McDonnell case. How could it not, assuming they can prove these juxtapositions? There may well be enough money laundering and tax evasion counts connected to the gold bars and cash found to make the corruption/bribery case a luxury for federal prosecutors. Menendez had better either change his name to Biden or start sucking up for a pre-emptive pardon. — Ed]