Foreign Government Allegedly Bribed Senator Bob Menendez With Miami Grand Prix Tickets

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Senator Bob Menendez is facing new allegations of accepting gifts from Qatar for favorable comments about the government of Qatar, including tickets to Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix. 

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The Democrat from New Jersey and his wife Nadine Arslanian are facing four charges tied to the alleged bribery scheme, CBS News reports. The bribes were to facilitate a multi-million-dollar investment into a real estate project in New Jersey. The Qatari investor is also a member of the country’s royal family.

The gifts were ridiculously lavish. The indictment claims Menendez received a literal gold bar in 2022 after the deal was finalized and the Qatar investor signed a letter of intent to invest. The gift wasn’t completely unexpected as the senator Google searched “how much is one kilo of gold worth” after a trip to Qatar in 2021.

Despite the deal’s completion, Menendez continued to receive valuable gifts from the Qataris. The document mentions that he received tickets to the Formula 1 race in Miami. The senator didn’t attend the race himself, but the tickets were given to his relatives. Tickets for the South Florida event were $630 at their cheapest and easily soared into the thousands for higher-end seats.

These allegations are stacked on top of what was revealed in two previous indictments that date back to September last year. This includes the claim that Arslanian received a new Mercedes-Benz after destroying her car in a crash that killed a pedestrian. The Mercedes was believed to be a reward for Menendez pressuring the New Jersey attorney general’s office into dropping charges in an unrelated case.