Revisiting the Khashoggi Case

The narrative surrounding the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has often seemed straightforward. It was believed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the lone figure behind the gruesome killings and dismemberment at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul back in October 2018.

However, things are definitely more intricate than that.

A new book co-authored with Isabel Vincent from the New York Post, titled “Gold Bar Bob: The Fall of the Most Corrupt U.S. Senator,” reveals a surprising twist. The plot thickens with the involvement of a corrupt senator, who allegedly accepted a stash of gold to obscure the Egyptian government’s participation in the act.

In this work, we illustrate how Democratic Senator Bob Menendez acted almost like a mob boss from New Jersey, complicating the narrative surrounding a grisly murder of a permanent U.S. resident and staunch supporter of the Arab Spring—a series of uprisings beginning in 2010.

What’s striking is that Menendez, currently serving an 11-year sentence for bribery and various felonies, has not been adequately scrutinized for his connections to Egyptian officials during the critical period before and after Khashoggi’s death. As the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his role has largely gone unreported.

Even assessments from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence fell short, lacking conclusive evidence linking MbS directly to the murder. The Biden administration tried to clarify previous ambiguities concerning the Trump administration’s handling of the case, asserting that “Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved Turkey’s detention in Istanbul” regarding Khashoggi’s killing.

Intelligence reports indicated Egyptian officials, who were bribing Menendez, provided drugs that played a role in Khashoggi’s murder within the consulate walls. The details surrounding Menendez’s involvement surfaced almost inadvertently in a recent sentencing memo.

Interestingly, Menendez seemed to champion his ties to Egypt while simultaneously trying to keep the narrative hidden. The scale of his operation amounted to a sort of espionage against fellow senators, effectively stifling any substantial inquiry into the matter.

We do know that Saudi death squads received essential intelligence and training in Egypt before stopping in Cairo to acquire the means to eliminate Khashoggi in Istanbul.

This raises a significant question: did the Egyptians exploit the situation for their purposes, taking the kidnapping and turning it into a murder? They had clear motives—Khashoggi had been a vocal critic, representing the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Egyptian government had been actively persecuting.

During this period, Egypt was teetering on the edge of sanctions, with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee frequently restricting arms sales due to persistent allegations of human rights violations.

Menendez stood against Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other Trump officials who downplayed the CIA’s evidence linking the Crown Prince to Khashoggi’s death. He accused the administration of permitting actions without consequences, yet his own actions—that included receiving classified intelligence while accepting favors from Egyptians implicated in the murder—contradicted this stance.

Menendez even funneled classified CIA insights to major media outlets, transforming them into what could be seen as Egyptian propaganda. This unwitting cooperation may have undermined human rights groups, as these outlets failed to report on the sourcing of the murder weapon used in the Khashoggi case.

In the months leading to Khashoggi’s murder, Menendez divulged sensitive information pertaining to U.S. embassies in Egypt, potentially exposing American security personnel and CIA operatives. He later assured Egyptian officials about the lifting of arms restrictions.

The timing is striking—shortly after his assurances, Khashoggi was killed.

Menendez weaponized the murder for political gain, using it to launch a calculated campaign against MbS, shaping narratives in the press to support his legislative moves.

He also pushed for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and worked to block arms sales to the nation, presenting himself as a constant adversary to the trump administration’s policies while the Egyptians capitalized on the chaos for their advantage.

The backdrop of these events offers a critical window into regional power dynamics, as Egypt transitioned into a budding arms dealer amidst the conflict.

After his release from detention, Menendez even arranged arms dealings with Russia that arose during the Ukraine conflict, although Egypt later denied those claims.

Yet, despite the troubling circumstances, the media continued to amplify Menendez’s narrative until inconsistencies began to emerge, prompting a defensive response from him.

When members of the Senate called for the Egyptian intelligence chief to clarify details surrounding the 2021 murders, Menendez leveraged his influence to anticipate the inquiry, preparing a memo with counterarguments and meeting with Egyptian officials for preparations.

It’s crucial to reassess the circumstances of Khashoggi’s murder and investigate Menendez’s actions during his tenure as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while effectively being on Egypt’s payroll.

The implications of this inquiry reach far beyond individual accountability—they touch upon the credibility of U.S. intelligence and foreign policy decisions. It’s time to ensure that corrupt narratives driven by financial incentives don’t compromise global diplomacy and human rights.