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A businessman pled guilty to corruption charges related to an alleged bribery scheme involving Senator Bob Menendez.
Jose Uribe admitted to giving Menendez’s wife a Mercedes with the expectation the senator would use his influence to halt investigations into one of Uribe’s associates.
The businessman noted that he paid for the vehicle “in a manner to conceal my involvement because I knew it was wrong. I knew that giving a car in return for influencing a United States senator to stop a criminal investigation was wrong, and I deeply regret my actions.”
Uribe agreed to testify against Menendez, who faces charges that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from Uribe, Wael Hana, and Fred Daibes in exchange for political favors, including advocating for Egypt and ghostwriting a letter on their behalf.
The bribes allegedly included cash, gold, home payments, and other gifts.
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment stated.
Uribe faces up to 95 years in prison and must forfeit $246,000, while Menendez has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for May.
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