A witness at Senator Bob Menendez's bribery trial revealed how the cost of certifying Halal meat for export to Egypt surged after a single U.S. company gained a monopoly in a deal allegedly orchestrated by the Senator. The witness, a former U.S. diplomat based in Cairo, testified that the certification cost spiked from $200-$400 per container to over $5,000 after Menendez's co-defendant, Wael “Will” Hana, secured the exclusive rights.
Prosecutors claim that Menendez, along with Hana and a third businessman, accepted bribes in exchange for creating the monopoly. Menendez faces charges including bribery, extortion, fraud, and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. Both Menendez and Hana have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
