A New Jersey businessman named Jose Uribe has testified in the corruption trial of Senator Bob Menendez, claiming that he bribed the senator and his wife by buying Nadine Menendez a Mercedes-Benz convertible in order to stop criminal investigations into his business associates. Uribe is the prosecution’s star witness in the case, and he is the only defendant to plead guilty. The others, including the senator and his wife, have pleaded not guilty. Menendez is on trial alongside Wael Hana, the owner of a halal certification company, and Fred Daibes, a real estate developer, who are also accused of bribing the senator.
Uribe testified that he asked Senator Menendez for help with quashing the investigations during two meetings in 2019. The first meeting occurred after he claimed to have met Nadine Menendez in a restaurant parking lot and handed her $15,000 in cash for the down payment on the luxury convertible. The businessman made monthly payments on the vehicle and tried to conceal his involvement. During a dinner with the senator and his wife, the investigations were discussed, and Menendez allegedly agreed to look into the matter and help Uribe find peace for his family. A second meeting took place over brandy and cigars in Nadine Menendez’s backyard, where the senator told Uribe he had a meeting with the New Jersey attorney general the next day.
During the second meeting, Menendez asked Uribe to write down the names of the people he was concerned about, and the businessman complied. However, Uribe claimed that they did not discuss the car payments during their conversations, and he assumed that the senator knew about them. After Menendez met with the attorney general, Nadine Menendez assured Uribe that there was no indication of an investigation against his family. The businessman received a call from the senator a month later, confirming that there was nothing to worry about and that he had provided Uribe with peace. Menendez also allegedly told Uribe during a dinner a year later that he had saved him twice.
The defense has yet to cross-examine Uribe fully in the trial, and it remains to be seen how this testimony will impact the case. Menendez and his co-defendants maintain their innocence in the bribery charges, and the trial is ongoing. The details revealed in Uribe’s testimony shed light on the alleged corrupt dealings between the businessman and the senator, raising questions about the ethical conduct of elected officials. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for Menendez’s political future and the public’s perception of corruption in government.
