Thread by @erin_snider

I've worked on aid to to #Egypt for years and hadn't thought I'd be shocked by much frankly, but the details in the Menendez indictment are really something. A brief thread on some of the worst revelations, paraphrased. [1/15]

nytimes.com/2023/09/22/nyr…

The players: Menendez’s now wife Nadine Arslanian, Wael Hana (aka Will Hana), a NJ businessman originally from Egypt and his friend, Joseph Uribe, also a NJ businessman previously convicted of fraud, and Fred Daibes, a former banker. [2/15]

Sen Menendez was Chairman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and had influence on the Exec Branch’s decisions to provide foreign military financing and other aid or support to benefit the Gov of Egypt. [3/15]

From the indictment, Menendez took 100s of thousands of $$ of bribes in exchange for using his power & influence as a Sen to protect & enrich Hana, Uribe, & Daibes, & benefit the Gov of Egypt. Bribes included cash, gold toward a mortgage, a luxury vehicle, & other things. [4/15]

Before marrying Menendez, Nadine Arslanian told her friend, Hana, in 2018 that she was dating him. [5/15]

She & Hana worked to introduce Egyptian intelligence and mil officials to Menendez to establish & solidify a corrupt agreement in which Hana, gave bribes to Menendez & his wife in exchange for Menendez’s acts to benefit the Govt of Egypt including for military sales & FMF.[5/15]

Some of the worst details: Menendez & his wife met w/Hana on May 6, 2018 and then asked the State Dept for non-public info about the # and nationality of persons serving at the US Emb in Cairo. [6/15]

That info wasn’t classified, but it was deemed highly sensitive because it could pose significant security concerns if disclosed to a foreign government or made public. [7/15]

On May 8th, he texted that info to his wife writing: Just FYI [a number] Americans combination of diplomats, commercial service, USAID, other [number of] Egyptians locally employed staff. This is what’s at the Embassy.[Summary of ratio] are Egyptians working at the Embassy.[8/15]

Nadine forwarded that message to Hana, who gave it to an Egyptian government official. Later than month, Menendez gave Hana non-public info on the US’ military aid to Egypt during dinner at a high-end restaurant. [9/15]

After the dinner, Hana texted an Egyptian official: “the ban on small arms and ammunition to Egypt has been lifted. That means sales can begin. That will include sniper rifles among other articles.”[10/15]

It gets worse: Shortly after Nadine tells Menendez an Egy official wants help editing a letter lobbying US Senators to support aid to Egypt. She says she wants Menendez to prepare it because Hana & an Egyptian she calls “the General” gave her “clearance for a project.”[11/15]

In response, Menendez secretly edits & ghost-writes the letter on Egypt’s behalf to convince US Senators to release a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt. [12/15]

In July, Menendez met again with that Egyptian official and other Egyptian military officials to discuss FMF and foreign military sales in a meeting arranged, schedule, and attended by Nadine and Hana. [13/15

Before the meeting, the Egyptian govt, through Hana and Nadine gave Menendez briefing materials advocating Egyptian foreign military goals and setting forth its goals for approval of FMF and foreign military sales to Egypt. [14/15]

Menendez then texts Nadine:Tell [Hana] I'm going to sign off this sale to Egypt today. Egypt: 46K Target Practice Rounds and 10K Rounds Tank Ammunition: $99 million. Nadine forwards this to Hana who passes it to the Egyptian official who replies with a ‘thumbs up’ emoji. [15/15]