48°
The state's top prosecutor is apparently looking to find out.
According to NBC New York, investigators from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity & Accountability were at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday, Oct. 5, seeking documents related to the incident.
In an e-mail to Daily Voice, the AG's office said they do not confirm or deny investigations.
Arslanian, who was also named in the federal indictments accusing Menendez of accepting bribes from the government of Egypt, among other indiscretions, struck Richard Koop, 49 on the evening of Dec. 12, 2018. Arslanian, who now goes by Nadine Menendez, married the senator in 2020.
Dashcam footage shows Arslanian being interviewed by police, who determined she was not at fault. Arslanian was never charged in the crash and police did not take a breathalyzer or blood test.
Federal prosecutors allege that following the crash, Sen. Menendez agreed to interfere in the unrelated state prosecution of an associate of Jose Uribe, a New Jersey businessman who worked in the insurance and trucking business in exchange for help in getting Arslanian a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Menendez contacted a senior state prosecutor in the state Attorney General's office to influence the case, federal documents show. Gold bars and cash were among the bribes Sen. Bob Menendez is accused of accepting, federal prosecutors say. In April 2019, the associate of Uribe pleaded guilty to a plea deal that was more favorable than prosecutors' initial plea offer, according to the indictment.
Arslanian purchased the Mercedes-Benz convertible with a $15,000 down payment using cash, a credit card and writing several checks, taking out a loan to cover the rest of the balance, according to indictment.
After the purchase was complete, Arslanian texted Menendez, “Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes."
Uribe helped cover the monthly payments for the car, routing it through one of his business associates or a company he controlled, according to the indictment.
Menendez and Arslanian have denied the allegations in the indictment. A majority of his Democratic colleagues have called on the senator to resign, including Cory Booker, but a defiant Menendez has refused. Politicians throughout New Jersey, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have also called for his resignation.
This is the second time Menendez has faced federal corruption charges. A previous trial ended in a mistrial and prosecutors declined to try the case again.
To view the NBC New York story, click here.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mercer and receive free news updates.
