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Nadine Arslanian, the now-wife of embattled Senator Robert Menendez, was involved in a fatal car crash in Bogota in 2018, according to The New York Times. The couple, who married in 2020, were dating at the time of the incident.
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, The Times and NorthJersey.com report.
Dashcam footage obtained by the New York Times shows Arslanian being interviewed by police, who determined she was not at fault. Arslanian was never charged in the crash.
The indictment mentions that in December 2018, Arslanian, who now goes by Nadine Menendez, was without a vehicle for the remainder of 2018 and early 2019.
Now we know why.
Senator 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, according to a newly-unsealed federal indictment against him. Menendez contacted a senior state prosecutor in the state Attorney General's office to influence the case, federal documents show.
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.
In the video, a distraught Arslanian says she didn't do anything wrong. A retired Hackensack police officer showed up to the scene as a favor, according to the video. A Bogota police officer makes it clear she won't be getting charged and can go home without incident.
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 read the New York Times story, click here.
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