Federal investigators are looking into Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) wife, Nadine Arslanian amid an investigation over corruption allegations.
In an exclusive report released by Wall Street Journal, the federal investigators have turned their attention to the senator’s wife amid the former’s ongoing corruption probe.
“Federal prosecutors investigating U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez are examining whether his wife received gifts or services from individuals who sought favors from the New Jersey politician, according to people familiar with the matter,” the Journal revealed in its report.
According to the report, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has subpoenaed Arslanian, whom the Senator married in 2020. However, it is still unclear what specific information the office is seeking.
Last October, it was reported that Menendez is once again facing another federal corruption investigation.
“The two people familiar with the investigation, one who is directly connected to the investigation and the other a New Jersey lawyer who has been told of the case, said that the broad outlines of the new inquiry are similar to the 2017 case. Both said that the new investigation involves an entirely different group of people,” Semafor reported.
Amid the investigation, Menendez refused to give comments when asked about the matter. However, his advisor Michael Soliman released a statement late October and said, “Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation that was reported today. However, he does not know the scope of the investigation. As always, should any official inquiries be made, the senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office.”
The Journal revealed that the investigation dated back in 2019 over a “possible undisclosed foreign lobbying” in the U.S. and “other potential violations of federal law.”
“Late that year, court records show, federal investigators executed search warrants at the home and office of Wael Hana, the founder of IS EG Halal, an Edgewater, N.J., company that was designated the only business allowed to certify halal meat being exported to Egypt. Mr. Hana is an associate of Ms. Arslanian, according to the people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors were investigating possible undisclosed foreign lobbying in the U.S. and other potential violations of federal law, according to court documents filed in 2020 by Lawrence Lustberg, a lawyer for Mr. Hana, who was seeking the return of property seized by the government,” the WSJ added.
In 2017, Menendez was tried in a public-corruption case over accusations that he allegedly received $1 million in gifts which include private flights and trips, from a Florida doctor who wanted help with visas. However, case ended in a mistrial.
