(ReliableNews.org) – In September 2023, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were among five defendants indicted in an alleged bribery scheme. According to the press release from the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, the legislator used his political position to protect businessmen Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe, and Wael Hana in exchange for cash, gold, a car, and other valuables.
The US attorney prosecuting the case said the Menendez couple accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes between 2018 and 2022. In June 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant on their home and a safety deposit box to find cash and valuables. Now, the media revived something else that happened around the same time.
What Happened?
On October 4, The New York Times reported that Mrs. Menendez hit a pedestrian with her car and killed him in December 2018 when she was dating the senator. According to reports, she was driving around at night in New Jersey in her black Mercedes-Benz sedan when the incident occurred. She told officers she didn’t see 49-year-old Richard Koop step out into the road. Police found her “not at fault” at the time, and she was released from the scene.
Why Bring This Up?
Given the recent accusations against the lawmaker and his wife, some people are now wondering if Senator Menendez used his influence to keep the accident from becoming big news and if he used his power to intervene on his beloved’s behalf. According to the NYT, officers on the scene seemed to know the legislator’s fiance, which isn’t illegal. However, cops at the scene reportedly didn’t give her a drug or alcohol test.
It seems that the media and perhaps others are questioning the integrity of law enforcement in the area at the time. According to Fox News, then-Ms. Arslanian had a long history of traffic infractions, but nothing to the extent of what happened that fateful night in 2018.
For one, the victim’s family said they don’t believe the investigation was handled properly, citing a “lack of legal enthusiasm” and virtually no media coverage. They said it felt like the entire tragedy was “swept under the rug.”
Mrs. Menendez’s lawyer, David Schertler, responded to the renewed interest in the death of Mr. Koop. He called the incident a “tragic accident,” stating the horrific event had nothing to do with the current case against his client. Schertler said Koop ran in front of the car, and she hit him, confirming she was not at fault.
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