Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal bribery trial showcases new photos revealing over $600,000 in cash and gold bars hidden around his home in New Jersey, including a stack of bills stuffed inside a Timberland boot. The trial began in Manhattan federal court with jurors being shown images of the cluttered Englewood Cliff house during an FBI raid in June 2022. The pictures also depict gold bars, stacks of cash inside bags, neat grids of bills, and closets overflowing with clothes and belongings in the modest white house filled with various items.
Special Agent Aristotelis Kougemitros testified about leading the raid on Menendez’s home, uncovering 13 gold bars worth $150,000 and over $480,000 in cash hidden in closets, jackets, and designer bags. Kougemitros mentioned the challenges of counting such a large amount of money by hand, eventually requiring two cash-counting machines to tally the seized $486,461 worth of bills. Menendez and his wife, Nadine, face corruption and bribery charges for allegedly receiving gifts in exchange for political favors to governments and businessmen, including Egypt, Qatar, and New Jersey individuals like Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, and Jose Uribe.
During the trial, defense lawyers attempted to shift blame to Nadine, claiming she inherited the gold bars from her Lebanese family, while Menendez was unaware of their presence in the home. The defense also argued that Menendez’s habit of keeping cash at home was a result of the generational trauma inherited from his Cuban refugee family, who lost everything and kept their money close. Testimony from John Moldovan, the general counsel for Hana’s company, shed light on Menendez’s alleged corrupt relationship with Hana, including favors provided by the senator in exchange for financial assistance provided to Nadine.
Menendez stepped down from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following the new charges, after an earlier mistrial in an unrelated corruption case in 2017. The trial has involved testimony from various witnesses, including Moldovan and Josh Paul, an ex-state department official, who provided expert testimony on congressional funding in Egypt. All defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges, with Nadine’s trial postponed due to her need for breast cancer treatment. The trial will take a break after Tuesday for Memorial Day, resuming later with the continued proceedings.
