New Jersey

Jose Uribe said he discussed it multiple times with Menendez

Jose Uribe leaves Manhattan federal court, Friday, June 7, 2024, in New York. | Adam Gray/AP

By Ry Rivard

06/10/2024 02:14 PM EDT

Updated: 06/10/2024 08:10 PM EDT

Link Copied

NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors’ star witness in their case against Sen. Bob Menendez testified Monday about a backyard meeting with the senator in September 2019. There was Grand Marnier and the senator was smoking a cigar.

At one point, Jose Uribe, the witness who has pleaded guilty to bribing Menendez and his now-wife and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, said the senator called out “mon amour” and rang a little bell that summoned his then-girlfriend Nadine from her house to the backyard. She brought out a piece of paper and then went back inside the house.

Uribe said he used the paper to write down the names of companies and people being investigated by the New Jersey attorney general’s office. Uribe said he bribed Nadine with a new car so the senator would “kill” this investigation.

The New Jersey Democrat took the piece of paper and put it in his pocket, Uribe testified.

The next day, Menendez had a meeting in his Newark district office with then-New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and one of Grewal’s top aides. Federal prosecutors allege Menendez used that meeting to try to disrupt investigations Uribe wanted stopped.

Grewal testified last week that he cut off the senator when Menendez tried to bring up pending cases. When he and his aide left the meeting, the aide turned to Grewal and said, “Whoa, that was gross.”

Prosecutors have said Menendez, who has denied the allegations, failed to sway the investigation’s outcome but told Uribe the meeting went well anyway. They have charged the senator with corruption and Uribe earlier this year pleaded guilty to bribing the senator and his wife.

Months before the backyard tête-à-tête, Uribe said he had given Nadine $15,000 cash in a parking lot to help Nadine buy a new Mercedes-Benz.

From........

© Politico