Menendez's corruption scandal tied to scheme that left business owner 'thousands of dollars' short: report
According to an exclusive HuffPost report published Sunday, October 8, an indictment filed in federal court last month alleges that United States Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), his wife, Nadine Mendendez, and two additional businessmen "accepted hundreds of thousands in bribes in exchange for official favors" from a New Jersey-based Egyptian American Halal company owner.
HuffPost notes:
'Halal' is an Arabic word that translates to 'lawful' or 'permitted.' In the case of food, it refers to the process of how meat is prepared, processed and stored in accordance with the Islamic faith. While there is no one globally accepted definition for halal among certification bodies, halal food is predominantly certified by a Muslim or, more commonly, a Muslim religious figure, similar to the process for kosher food.
Wael Hana, owner of IS EG Halal, was charged with bribery along with the Menendez's.
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HuffPost reports, "For over 20 years, Habib Ghanim certified halal beef liver for Egypt without any issues," until 2019, when "an organization with no prior halal experience had become the sole entity authorized by the government of Egypt to certify halal exports worldwide."
The report notes Ghanim received a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying that the Egyptian government had suspended his certifying work. It said only one company in the country was now allowed to certify halal meat for Cairo: IS EG Halal."
After "several American Muslims who ran halal certification companies lost clients," and "Ghanim lost thousands of dollars," according to HuffPost, "He and others tried desperately to have the decision reversed, or a least explained — as did the USDA. But nothing happened. Working behind the scenes to ensure IS EG Halal kept its lucrative contract, prosecutors now say, was the head of the company — a Christian man — and a powerful U.S. senator who was allegedly in his pocket."
Huffpost reports:
According to prosecutors, the USDA contacted the Egyptian government, urging officials to reconsider the monopoly rights granted to IS EG Halal. After learning about its communications, Bob Menendez stepped in, calling a USDA official and demanding an end to the interference, the Department of Justice said. In exchange, Menendez and his wife allegedly received bribes in the form of cash and gold from Hana.
After Hana secured the deal from the Egyptian government, his financial situation took a drastic turn. He used his halal company to pay Menendez's wife nearly $23,000 to help with her mortgage, according to prosecutors. Court documents say the FBI raided Hana's home and office later in 2019 and confiscated nearly $6,000 in cash. In 2021, he purchased 22 gold bars with unique serial numbers — together worth roughly $40,000 — that would eventually be found in the Menendez home, prosecutors claim.
Halal Watch World President Mansoor Rafiq Umar told the news outlet, "When Muslims see a halal stamp, there should be trust" amongst the community.
"It really affects a lot of us who are just doing the best job that we possibly can. We really take it seriously," he said. "We don't want the halal-conscious consumer to lose faith in the industry as a whole. So our goal is to ensure that people know that we're working on making changes."
Calling the indictment charges "baseless," Hana's spokesperson told Huff Post, "Mr. Hana is innocent and has nothing to hide – as demonstrated by his consistently transparent actions over the course of many months. He has cooperated with the government's investigation by providing prosecutors with unfettered access to documents and to his employees. Within minutes of learning about this indictment, Mr. Hana voluntarily booked a flight back to the U.S., leaving behind his wife and three young daughters, including 7-month-old twins. He looks forward to proving his innocence."
HuffPost's full report is available at this link.
