Sen. Bob Menendez Bribery Case Includes Wife's Secret Phone, $35K Diamond Ring

According to recent court filings, Senator Bob Menendez's wife was allegedly a beneficiary of a bribery scheme, which included receiving a diamond engagement ring and using a secondary phone referred to as her "007" device.

The filings detail Menendez's purported arrangement with Wael Hana, an Egyptian American halal purveyor, which nearly unraveled when Hana allegedly attempted to defraud the senator and his wife, Nadine, by undervaluing the ring.

Bob Menendez’s alleged bribery scheme had wife using alternate ‘007’ phone, involved $35K diamond ring: court docshttps://t.co/u5wf2ttps2

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Menendez received $150,000 in exchange for intervening in a criminal insurance fraud case, the allegations claim.

Hana, a co-defendant accused of funneling bribes to the Menendezes through his company, was tasked with purchasing Nadine a new Mercedes-Benz convertible and the $35,000 ring. Hana purchased a $12,000 ring and falsified a $35,000 receipt by buying luxury items for himself, according to prosecutors.

The filings also reveal discussions between a confidential source and Egyptian officials indicating concerns that Hana's actions could jeopardize their relationship with Menendez.

“The Hana associate also explained that Menendez knew that Hana shortchanged him with respect to the ring, and that Nadine Menendez … had taken the ring back to the jeweler and learned that it was worth less money,” the document explained.

“Wael … was about to ruin things with Bob. Bob who is starting to listen to us,” a confidential source with ties to Egyptian officials said

The new Mercedes was intended to replace the car Nadine wrecked in a fatal accident in 2018.

Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to bribery allegations.

The filings refute Menendez's request to block evidence seized during searches of their home, citing intercepted calls made to Nadine's "007" phone and the discovery of large sums of cash concealed in their basement.

Furthermore, prosecutors allege that Menendez solicited New Jersey mayors to authorize COVID testing at a laboratory where Nadine was employed, during the height of the pandemic.

The attorneys for Menendez's co-defendants, including Hana, declined to comment on the allegations, but intend to respond to the prosecution's filing.