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Embattled 'Gold Bars' Bob Menendez resigns from the Senate... as he begs Joe Biden for a pardon on his way out the door
Disgraced former New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, 70, has officially resigned from the Senate weeks after being charged in an international corruption and bribery scheme.
The ex-chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was found guilty on 16 counts related to taking bribes in exchange for helping local businessmen and the countries Qatar and Egypt.
One of the charges included acting as a foreign agent. He faces 222 years in prison for his crimes and his sentencing is expected in late October.
Now, finally coming to grips with his fate after an overwhelming barrage of calls for him to resign by his closest colleagues, the decades-long senior New Jersey senator officially stepped aside Tuesday.
He had indicated he would be out of the Senate by the end of the day.
Menendez used his high-profile position as the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to help one man negotiate a contract with Egyptian officials and his connections in New Jersey to hamper investigations into another's business
His official Senate website had been taken down as of Tuesday evening and redirected to Senate.gov.
The 70-year-old senator is now reportedly considering his options to get out of a lengthy prison sentence.
One of those potential plays could be pleading with his former Senate colleague President Joe Biden.
Still, the prospects are slim, as many quickly lined up against Menendez for his crimes.
'In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,' the powerful Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement after the case closed in mid July.
Menendez's resignation was previously coordinated with party leadership to give the Senate and the state time to figure out a replacement for the Democrat.
Last week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy decided on a replacement, appointing his former chief of staff George Helmy for the interim role.
Helmy will be expected to be sworn in upon the chamber's return from the August break.
However Helmy's tenure will be short-lived as the current frontrunner in the election for Menendez's Senate seat is Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and he will likely win the six-year term come November.
Menendez sat for over eight weeks in a New York federal courtroom as witnesses and prosecutors revealed the scintillating details of his alleged plan to reward multiple New Jersey businessmen with favors in exchange for payment.
He faces a maximum of 222 years in prison for all charges
Menendez previously faced another federal trial for corruption but escaped charges in 2017 on a hung jury
He used his high-profile position as the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to help one man negotiate a contract with Egyptian officials, prosecutors explained at trial.
And he used his influence as the New Jersey's senior senator to quash a state investigation into another accomplice's state insurance fraud case, prosecutors said.
Menendez's defense, meanwhile, argued the Democrat had a fear of going without and his Cuban heritage as the reason he stored gold and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at his home.
The New Jersey Democrat and his wife had been under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car over the last five years to carry out favors for three businessmen who are also charged in the case.
In June 2022, the FBI raided the senator's home uncovering the fruits of his corrupt labors.
They claimed the 13 gold bars, nearly half a million dollars in cash and the convertible Mercedes-Benz found during the search were all bribery payments to Menendez and his wife Nadine.
The long-time lawmaker sat for over eight weeks in a New York federal courtroom as witnesses and prosecutors revealed the scintillating details of his alleged plan to reward multiple New Jersey businessmen with favors in exchange for payment, prosecutors alleged
A jury reached has reached a verdict in the bribery trial of New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, who has been accused of participating in a years-long foreign corruption scheme that earned him gold bars, cash and a new car
The Menendezes pleaded not guilty to the corruption scheme.
Nadine Menendez will be tried in a separate trial due to her recent breast cancer diagnosis.
Two of the New Jersey businessmen indicted alongside the Menendezes, Wael 'Will' Hana - a halal meat mogul - and Fred Daibes - a real estate developer - also pleaded not guilty.
Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker, pleaded guilty in the case earlier this year and since has testified that he bribed the Menendezes.
'I agreed with Nadine Menendez and other people to provide a car for Nadine in order to get the power and influence of Mr. Menendez,' Uribe told the court.
Cash was found in envelopes inside a jacket with the senator's name on it
Some of the gold bars found in Menendez's New Jersey home
Bob and Nadine Menendez pictured at a reception honoring the Greek prime minister at the White House in 2022
He got her a convertible Mercedes-Benz for helping him 'kill' investigations into several of his associates by the New Jersey attorney general's office.
As it would turn out, through both prosecutor's and Menendez's attorneys, Nadine was central to the case's alleged bribery arrangements - often acting as a go between for her husband and his criminal associates.
After a jury ruled a mistrial in a previous federal corruption trial in 2017, Menendez, who has held his seat as New Jersey Senator since 2006, was ready to make himself anew.
Part of that makeover involved a thrilling new relationship with Nadine Arslanian in 2018.
Nadine, a tall, striking blonde Lebanese-American woman 13-years younger than Bob, was also divorced.
She separated from real estate Raffi Arslanian in 2005 after getting together in 1989 and having two children, USA Today reported. The divorce left her with debt and little money.
But her luck turned around when she began dating the wealthy and powerful Menendez in February 2018.
Nadine introduced her future husband to Wael 'Will' Hana and quickly coordinated dozens of meeting between the two.
A Mercedes Menendez and his wife allegedly received in the widespread bribery plot
Cash found in the Menendez house following the FBI raid
An image of the lawmaker's bedroom with closets open. Bribes were found stored all over the Democrats house, prosecutors testified
Hana, a halal meat mogul, was well connected with Egyptian officials and Menendez's role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, was surely a helpful connection to have - prosecutors said.
By the summer of 2018, Nadine and Hana had coordinated meetings with the Senator and Egyptian officials at the Democrat's D.C. Senate office and elsewhere.
In May, Menendez requested State Department information on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and then passed it along to Egyptian military officials.
But his lawyers pushed back on this arguing the information was already public.
Later in July, the Senator met again with Egyptian military officials who wanted a $100 million deal for tank munitions.
Gold bars discovered at the Menendez home later found to be bribes
After the meeting, which was coordinated by Nadine, Menendez texted her 'Tell Will I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today.'
Nadine sent the message to Hana, who later sent it to Egyptian officials, who gave it a thumbs up response.
The couple kept close tabs on each other, tracking one another using their iPhones. At times Menendez would text Nadine if her tracker went dark.
'I lost you,' Menendez once texted Nadine.
Prosecutors argued the tracking helped reassure the Democrat that his go-between was executing on his illicit deals, while the Senator's defense said Nadine's ex poses a threat to her, and Menendez was instead concerned about him.
The Lebanon-born 57-year-old at times caused 'too much drama,' according to Menendez's lawyers. She has been known to party and socialize with cast members of 'Mob Wives' and 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey.'
In December 2018 Nadine got into a car crash, leading to the death of a 49-year-old Richard Koop.
After the crash she needed a new car because, and the couple could not free up cash quickly to buy her a new one, so they turned to get some help.
Thousands of dollars in cash were found in the home, much of it stored in bizarre locations
Menendez and his wife Nadine arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in June 2023
Prosecutors say cash was found scattered all over his house, including in a boot
Hana and former insurance executive Jose Uribe had an answer.
'I remember saying to her, if your problem is a car, my problem is saving my family,' Uribe said during the trial.
He went on to tell the jury how he handed Nadine $15,000 in cash at a restaurant parking lot.
Uribe added that he financed Nadine's new Mercedes-Benz C 3000 convertible for years.
In return, the former insurance broker asked that Menendez quash investigations by the New Jersey attorney general into his friends.
Uribe recounted meeting the Senator at his home and discussing the investigation when Menendez rang a bell to summon Nadine.
After hearing the chime she came out with papers. Menendez then wrote down the names Uribe told him, met with the New Jersey attorney general the next day.
Later in 2019 the Menendezes went out to dinner at Morton's Steakhouse in Washington D.C., with Hana and Egyptian officials.
Unbeknownst to the couple, businessman or officials an FBI agent was at an adjacent table monitoring the entire meeting.
'What else can the love of my life do for you?' Nadine asked the men at the table, the agent later testified.
The Menendezes out to dinner with Jose Uribe in 2019
Days later Menendez called a Department of Agriculture official to urge him to rethink an export contract that would benefit Hana.
As time went on, Nadine and the Senator's relationship progressed, leading to the Democrat proposing to the blonde divorcee outside of the Taj Mahal in India.
The two wed in 2020, embroiling Nadine in more of the senators affairs.
Some of those affairs included negotiations with Fred Daibes, a businessman accused of bribing the Menendezes with gold bars and cash to quash investigations into federal banking charges and to connect with Qatari officials.
Daibes and Hana were both found guilty on all charges against them Tuesday.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called on the lawmaker to resign.
'I reiterate my call for Senator Menendez to resign immediately after being found guilty of endangering national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system. If he refuses to vacate his office, I call on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel.'
But exiting the courthouse in New York Tuesday afternoon, Menendez said the bribery saga is not over just yet.
'I have never violated my public oath,' he told reporters.
He then pledged to appeal his guilty verdict.
Menendez's sentencing will take place a week before the election on October 29.