Updated indictment adds details to bribery conspiracy charges against Sen. Menendez

NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez launched a member of the Qatari royal household and principal in an organization with ties to the federal government of Qatar to a New Jersey businessman earlier than the corporate invested tens of millions of {dollars} within the businessman’s actual property mission, a rewritten indictment alleged Tuesday.

The most recent model of the indictment in opposition to the Democrat in Manhattan federal courtroom didn’t establish the member of the Qatari royal household, but it surely stated the person was a principal of the Qatari Funding Co.

The indictment stated the Qatari investor then thought of and negotiated a multimillion-dollar funding in the actual property mission deliberate by Fred Daibes, certainly one of three businessmen charged within the indictment together with the senator and his spouse. All of them have pleaded not responsible.

Messages left with legal professionals and a spokesperson for Menendez weren’t instantly returned.

Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, stated he had no rapid remark.

No new expenses have been added to the newest model of an indictment that already charged Menendez in a bribery conspiracy that allegedly enriched the senator and his spouse with money, gold bars and a luxurious automobile. The allegations involving Qatar occurred from 2021 by means of 2023, the indictment stated.

After his September arrest, the senator gave up his place as chair of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee. He has resisted requires him to resign from his Senate seat.

In keeping with the indictment, Menendez accepted money and gold bars in alternate for searching for to induce the Qatari Funding Co. to take a position with Daibes, together with by taking actions favorable to the federal government of Qatar.

The indictment stated that whereas the Qatari Funding Co. was contemplating its funding in the actual property improvement owned by Daibes, Menendez made a number of public statements supporting the federal government of Qatar after which offered them to Daibes so he may share them with the Qatari investor and a Qatari authorities official.

In an earlier model of the indictment, Menendez, his spouse and one of many businessmen have been charged with conspiring to illegally use the senator as an agent of the Egyptian authorities.

Choose Sidney H. Stein, who’s presiding over the case, refused final week to increase a Could 5 trial date after protection legal professionals requested extra time to arrange for a trial that they stated already contains over 6.7 million paperwork.