A key witness in the federal corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez testified on Friday, revealing details of a bribery scheme involving the senator and his alleged co-conspirators. Ted McKinney, a former US Department of Agriculture official, recounted a phone call with Menendez where the senator allegedly instructed him to 'stop interfering' regarding a food industry monopoly held by Menendez's constituent, Wael Hana.
McKinney learned in April 2019 that Egypt had replaced several halal certifiers in the US with a sole certifier, IS EG Halal, owned by Hana. Concerned about the lack of experience of the new certifier and its impact on competition, McKinney reached out to Egyptian officials to find a solution.
