by AL WEAVER at thehill.com
The Department of Justice is looking into whether Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was given expensive gifts, headlined by a Mercedes-Benz, a luxury Washington apartment, jewelry and money, according to reports.
The main question for DOJ investigators centers around whether the gifts were from the owner or associates of IS EG Halal, based in Edgewater, N.J. The company was handed an exclusive contract to conduct Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government.
As NBC News notes, the move was made despite the company having no prior experience in that area, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture officials.
Menendez, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, last week denied he was involved in any wrongdoing.
“I am sure it is going to end up in absolutely nothing,” Menendez said.
read more