NEWARK, NJ – A federal grand jury in Manhattan is examining whether New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez or his spouse, Nadine Arslanian, received gold bars worth up to $400,000 in a questionable exchange. The focus of the investigation is to determine if Menendez offered to intercede with the Justice Department on behalf of Fred Daibes, a New Jersey developer facing bank fraud charges at the time of the alleged exchange.
Witnesses are currently providing testimony to the grand jury.
The investigation includes a look into Menendez’s relationship with Daibes, who was also a former bank chairman and felon. Authorities from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are seeking to establish if Daibes or his associates were involved in giving the gold bars to Arslanian.
Legal experts indicate that if Menendez did agree to act on Daibes’s behalf in return for the valuable gifts, this could constitute a criminal offense.
The grand jury is considering whether corruption charges against the New Jersey senator are warranted.