Feds say Menendez & wife accepted expensive gifts from business owner

The Department of Justice is investigating whether New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez and his wife received expensive gifts from the owner of an Edgewater, New Jersey, business that won a controversial exclusive contract to perform Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government.

The gifts, which are valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, are said to include a Mercedes-Benz, a luxury D.C. apartment, money, and jewelry.

The investigation is being led by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, along with FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation agents.

Menendez, a Democrat, serves as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and helps to oversee billions of dollars in aid to Egypt.

The investigation is looking into whether Menendez and his wife improperly took the gifts from the owner of IS EG Halal, Wael Hana, and whether the senator took any action in return.

Hana has denied any wrongdoing, and Menendez has said he is “confident” that the investigation will clear him of any wrongdoing.

The investigation is ongoing, and it is not yet clear what charges, if any, could be filed.

IS EG Halal was awarded an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government to certify Halal meat exports worldwide in 2019. The contract was controversial, as seven longtime companies across the globe were suddenly fired by the Egyptian government and those firms lost millions in business to the Edgewater firm.

The former deputy assistant inspector general at the USDA, Peter Paradis, said the change in contracts “defies logic.”

Paradis played no role in the current criminal investigation into the senator and his relationship with IS EG Halal. But Paradis points to past USDA reports on the controversy, including one that stated IS EG Halal “has no preexisting relationship with the US beef industry or Islamic organizations.”

The investigation is looking into a number of allegations, including:

• Whether Menendez and his wife improperly received gifts from Hana.
• Whether Menendez took any action in return for the gifts.
• Whether Hana paid any bribes to Egyptian officials to win the contract.
• Whether there was any foreign influence operation connected to Menendez.

Menendez has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, he said, “I am confident that this investigation will clear me of any wrongdoing. I have always been a strong advocate for the people of New Jersey, and I have never taken any action that would put my official duties at risk.”

The investigation is ongoing, and it is not yet clear what charges, if any, could be filed.