A federal grand jury has indicted Sen. Robert Menendez (D) and alleges he tried to help a New Jersey developer with getting a multibillion-dollar investment from an investment company tied to the Qatari government in exchange for some of the cash and gold bars they already alleged the developer sent to Menendez.
The developer cited in the indictment is Fred Daibes, who has also been charged in the case.
During the time of the discussions in late 2021 into 2022 for the investment in the deal, Sen. Menendez allegedly made a number of positive statements supportive of Qatar.
The indictment says, “Menendez provided Daibes with these statements so that Daibes could share them with the Qatari Investor and a Qatari government official associated with eh Qatari Investment Company.”
The indictment also alleges that Menendez introduced the New Jersey developer to a member of the Qatari royal family who was also a principal of the investment company, identified in the indictment as “Qatari Investor”.
Prosecutors allege in the indictment that Daibes, exchanged text messages with Menendez about the alleged scheme and in Sept. 2021, Daibes sent Menendez (via an encrypted app) photos taken from Daibes’ computer of luxury watches valued from $9,990 to $23,990 and asked Menendez “how about one of those”.
The indictment indicates that federal prosecutors reviewed web searches by Menendez after he returned from a trip to Qatar in October 2021 where they allege Menendez searched, “how much is one kilo of gold worth.”
They also allege Menendez received items of value from the Qatari Investment Company. In particular, they allege, the Qatari Investor provided four tickets for the 2023 Formula One race in Miami to an unnamed relative of Nadine Menendez at the request of Sen. Menendez.
The new conduct is all included in the previous counts Menendez was facing. Sen. Menendez faces no new charges in the latest indictment.