Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether Nadine Arslanian, the wife of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), received gifts or services from people seeking favors from her husband, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Arslanian’s associates have been subpoenaed in the investigation by the Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and have been asked for information about Arslanian and Menéndez, according to the outlet.
The current investigation dates back to at least 2019, according to the Journal, when federal investigators executed search warrants against New Jersey businessman Wael Hana, who runs the only company authorized to certify meat exports to Egypt as halal and is a partner. from Arslanian.
Court documents indicate that prosecutors are investigating the possibility of unreported foreign lobbyists. Hana’s lawyer told the Journal that her client obtained her halal certification contract with Egypt “without any help from any American public official.”
Aslanian told the Journal that he did not know what prosecutors were looking for.
In the 2015 case against Menendez, prosecutors alleged that he accepted nearly $1 million in private jet flights, vacations and other gifts from Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen in exchange for purchasing visas for the doctor’s foreign girlfriends. .
Investigators also allege that Menendez received large political donations in exchange for helping Melgen win lucrative government contracts.
Last month, a Menendez aide, Michael Soliman, told The Post that the senator was “aware of an investigation” but “doesn’t know the scope.”
“As always, in the event of any official investigation, the senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office,” Soliman said.
Menendez’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Journal’s report.
Information from: New York Post.