A key prosecution witness in Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal corruption trial testified Friday that he bribed the New Jersey Democrat. Jose Uribe, a New Jersey businessman who pleaded guilty to seven counts in March, admitted to committing a federal crime that included bribery of a public official, specifically naming Sen. Robert Menendez.
Uribe, who is testifying as part of his cooperation agreement with prosecutors, implicated Menendez and others in a bribery scheme and acting as foreign agents for the Egyptian government. Menendez, his wife Nadine, and businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Uribe revealed that he bribed the senator with the involvement of others, including Hana. He provided a car for Nadine Menendez in exchange for using the senator's power and influence to assist in resolving a criminal matter involving one of his associates, Elvis Parra, who was facing insurance fraud charges.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez agreed to influence a New Jersey state criminal prosecution and related investigation in exchange for the car provided by Uribe. Former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal testified about a conversation with Menendez regarding the case against Parra but clarified that he was not directly asked to intervene. Menendez expressed concerns about the case but did not name any defendants explicitly.
The trial continues with testimonies shedding light on the alleged bribery scheme and attempts to influence legal proceedings. Nadine Menendez is set to be tried separately later this summer as the legal proceedings unfold.
