In a significant development in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, Sarah Arkin, a senior staffer with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, provided testimony that shed light on unusual circumstances surrounding Menendez’s 2021 trip to Egypt and Qatar.
The charges against Menendez, who has refused to resign his U.S. Senate seat, include bribery, fraud, extortion, obstruction of justice, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Egypt.
Arkin described the planning process of Menendez’s Middle East as becoming “weird” and “unusual” after Menendez directed that Egypt be included. This departure from protocol, which typically involves planning through the State Department and U.S. authorities, raised eyebrows among Senate staff.
Menendez’s insistence on involving the Egyptian embassy directly during the planning process is atypical for a U.S. senator’s foreign travel arrangements.
The testimony also highlighted a incident where Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, was reportedly “very upset” over a miscommunication regarding potential meetings with Egyptian officials, including the country’s president.
Prosecutors say that Menendez’s actions were part of a broader pattern of accepting bribes from foreign businessmen in exchange for political favors, including using his powerful seat to benefit Egyptian officials and facilitate business deals with Qatar. Menendez faces years in prison if convicted.
The involvement of Menendez’s wife, Nadine, in the trip planning was also noted, adding another layer to her pending criminal case. Her trial has been postponed due to health concerns.
This testimony provides crucial context to the corruption charges against Menendez, bringing light to an intricate web of foreign relationships and bribery at the very top of the U.S. government and Democratic Party.