Bob Menendez provided guidance to Egyptian officials on how to obscure their involvement in the grim murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
This incident represents a significant violation of human rights and is arguably one of the starkest betrayals of the values he was meant to uphold as a U.S. Senator.
The disgraced New Jersey Democrat is now serving an 11-year sentence for corruption and conspiracy related to acting as an international agent in Egypt and Qatar. He has reportedly shared sensitive information with high-ranking Egyptian contacts about Khashoggi’s assassination at the Saudi embassy back in June 2021.
To make matters worse, Menendez was serving as the chairman of the relevant committee during this time.
As highlighted in an upcoming book, *Goldberbob: The Fall of the Most Corrupt US Senator*, which I co-authored with Thomas Jason Anderson, Menendez met with Egypt’s General Information Director Abbas Kamel. His visit was ostensibly to persuade the Biden administration to approve over $300 million in arms sales, despite apprehensions about Egypt’s human rights record.
Reports suggest that the drugs used in Khashoggi’s murder were supplied by an Egyptian intelligence agency.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and vocal critic of Saudi leadership, was killed and dismembered on October 2, 2018, while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
King Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, having stated, “Because it happened on my watch,” though he denied ordering it.
“What Menendez did is egregious,” remarked Hanan Eratl Khashoggi, the wife of the slain journalist. “It’s infuriating to think that a U.S. senator took bribes from a dictator to conceal a murder.”
Menendez’s actions were briefly mentioned in court filings stemming from charges he faced in 2023.
According to those documents, he assisted the head of the Egyptian intelligence agency in preparing for inquiries regarding claims that other U.S. senators had supported Egypt’s role in the murder and the targeting of lawful residents who are journalists in the U.S.
His wife, Nadine, was also convicted of bribery and corruption. It’s alleged that she persuaded him to aid the Egyptians in exchange for bribes, including gold bars and luxury cars. She is expected to face additional legal actions next month.
Elatr Khashoggi, originally from Egypt and raised in Dubai, now resides in Virginia. After her husband’s murder, she reportedly faced harassment and torture from Emirati intelligence agents until she obtained political asylum in 2023.
She and her husband met at a journalism conference in 2009 and married shortly before his death. The last time she saw him was in September 2018, prior to his trip to Europe and Turkey, during which he planned to look for an apartment.
“This is an ongoing tragedy,” said Ramie, who noted that he has initiated a lawsuit against an Israeli spyware company for aiding intelligence operatives in tracking the Khashoggis.
He remarked, “Everyone has an interest in this story,” and mentioned that Eratl Khashoggi is also considering legal action against Saudi Arabia regarding the murder case.
“I won’t stop until I achieve justice,” he added.
Perhaps there’s a small measure of justice in Menendez’s current predicament in federal prison.
He has even sought pardons from both former President Trump and President Biden.
