U.S. Senator and Bitcoin skeptic Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has been charged with bribery after allegedly accepting swaths of gold, cash, and mortgage payments as part of a “corrupt relationship” with three businessmen in his home state.
The charges follow years of criticism from the politician targeting cryptocurrencies, which he has accused of enabling a range of criminal activities while empowering foreign actors to evade U.S. sanctions.
“From at least 2018 up to and including in or about 2022, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence,” read the Friday indictment.
Federal prosecutors allege Menendez helped enrich three businessmen—Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes—while also benefiting the government of Egypt by providing “sensitive U.S. government information,” among other charges.
For example, prosecutors say Menendez used his influence to dismantle a criminal probe in New Jersey against Uribe, and to protect an Egyptian business monopoly granted to Hana by the Egyptian government that was partly responsible for paying Menendez’s bribes.
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Author: Andrew Throuvalas
Tip BTC Newswire with Cryptocurrency