Federal prosecutors and the FBI are conducting an investigation into whether Senator Robert Menendez or his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, received unreported gifts, including a luxury car and an apartment in Washington, from a halal meat company.
The company—IS EG Halal of Edgewater, N.J.—is also under criminal scrutiny, according to two individuals with knowledge of the matter whose assertions were made in a New York Times article.
The inquiry into Senator Menendez, a Democrat and the senior senator from New Jersey, is reportedly linked to a search conducted by the government at the meat company’s offices and the residence of its president, Wael Hana. A lawyer who met with prosecutors confirmed this connection.
The investigation gained momentum following a decision by the Egyptian government in 2019 to grant IS EG Halal the exclusive authorization to import halal meat into the country from anywhere in the world. The sudden change prompted concerns from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about potential price hikes and market disruption for the 90 million Muslims in Egypt.
Senator Menendez, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his willingness to cooperate with investigators, and his spokesman stated that the senator remains confident that the inquiry will be resolved successfully. In an interview with NBC News last week, Mr. Menendez asserted, “I am sure it is going to end up in absolutely nothing.”
The initial report on the investigation of unreported gifts was first published by NBC 4 New York. However, federal officials declined to comment on the matter Thursday evening.
During the 2019 search of IS EG Halal’s office and Wael Hana’s residence, authorities confiscated computers, cellphones, and documents, as indicated in court records. Mr. Hana, a Christian immigrant from Egypt, acknowledged in court papers that he had no prior experience in certifying meat prepared according to Islamic law before establishing his global company in April 2019.
Responding to the allegations, Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman for Mr. Hana, denied any involvement of IS EG Halal or its associates in providing gifts to Senator Menendez or his wife. Davis emphasized that the halal certification contract awarded to IS EG Halal by Egypt did not receive any assistance from Senator Menendez or any other U.S. public official. She deemed the allegations baseless and stated, “IS EG Halal was awarded its halal certification contract with Egypt without any assistance whatsoever from Senator Menendez or any other U.S. public official.”
Despite limited public indications of progress in the federal investigation since the issuance of initial subpoenas in October, Senator Menendez, aged 69, has continued fundraising for his anticipated fourth-term Senate run next year. The ongoing investigation is being led by federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the New York FBI office.
Two weeks ago, as part of the same investigation, Manhattan prosecutors subpoenaed documents related to a bill pending in the New Jersey Legislature. The bill aims to restrict the height of construction projects near the Palisades along the Hudson River. The subpoena sought any correspondence regarding the bill from Senator Menendez, Nadine Menendez, or Fred Daibes, a prominent regional developer. This move fueled speculation about Daibes potentially cooperating with the Menendez investigation. Daibes pleaded guilty to a federal banking crime last year but has not yet been sentenced.
Responding to inquiries about the investigation, Timothy M. Donohue, one of Mr. Daibes’s lawyers, stated in an email that his client was not a cooperating witness in the matter or any other matter.
Senator Menendez and Nadine Arslanian Menendez were married in October 2020 in a small ceremony in Queens. The couple had been traveling extensively even before their engagement. They received wedding gifts from various New Jersey leaders, according to a disclosure report filed by Mr. Menendez in May 2021, as required of federal officials.
In March 2022, Mr. Menendez updated the disclosure report to include an asset belonging to his wife: gold bullion bars valued between $100,001 and $250,000. However, the disclosure reports do not mention a Mercedes or a Washington apartment. Jennifer Morrill, Mr. Menendez’s Senate spokeswoman, criticized stories relying on anonymous sources, stating that they create “suggestion of impropriety without any facts.” While she did not directly address the claims of unreported gifts, Morrill argued that irresponsible reporting based on unnamed sources with extreme and damaging claims raises concerns about potential legal violations.
Nadine Menendez holds a master’s degree in French from New York University and has worked for Fusion Diagnostics, a medical testing facility in New Jersey. She also founded Strategic International Business Consultants, a consulting company, in June 2019, according to disclosure reports and New Jersey business incorporation records.
Peter P. Paradis, former deputy assistant inspector general for investigations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, stressed the importance of raising questions about the halal company’s sudden global monopoly on halal meat flow into Egypt. In an interview, Paradis stated, “If you had a company that now has a global monopoly on anything, then that should be a concern that people should at least ask questions about. And I believe that answers should be given.”
The investigation into Senator Menendez’s alleged unreported gifts continues to unfold, with its scope expanding to include the halal meat company and prominent regional developers. As the investigation progresses, further details are expected to emerge.