© Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Hoboken, N.J.) — Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is facing new federal criminal charges. Prosecutors are now accusing Menendez of making positive comments about the nation of Qatar in exchange for expensive items, including luxury wristwatches. The move allegedly helped a New Jersey developer get a multimillion-dollar investment from a company tied to the Qatar. The developer cited in the case has also been charged.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine, are already charged with accepting cash, gold bars and a Mercedes from three businessmen in exchange for political favors. The senator, a top Democrat and former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, is also accused of acting as an agent of the Egyptian government. He has pleaded not guilty to those counts.
