Bob Menendez slammed for instructing USDA official to 'stop interfering' with company accused of bribery

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In an eyebrow-raising development in the corruption trial of Senator Bob Menendez, a senior USDA official testified on Friday, May 31, detailing a pivotal phone call that underscores the allegations against the senator.

The official, Ted McKinney, provided a detailed account of a 2019 interaction that prosecutors are using to build their case against Menendez.

Controversial call by Bob Menendez

In May 2019, McKinney, who was serving as the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, received a forewarning from his then-chief-of-staff that Senator Bob Menendez would be calling his personal cell phone.

McKinney was in the midst of trying to reverse an unusual decision by Egyptian officials to grant a single company a monopoly on certifying halal meat exports to Egypt, a decision he believed could negatively impact American beef interests.

“I will never forget the words,” McKinney recounted from the witness stand. Menendez, he said, instructed him to “stop interfering with my constituent” during the brief but memorable call.

This statement, prosecutors argue, is a crucial piece of evidence suggesting Menendez's involvement in an alleged bribery scheme.

Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez received bribes to benefit New Jersey businesspeople and the Egyptian government. Central to this case is the monopoly on halal meat certification granted to IS EG Halal, a company based in New Jersey and led by Wael “Will” Hana. This monopoly, prosecutors claim, provided the financial means to bribe Menendez.

In the spring of 2019, Egyptian authorities decided to decertify all halal meat certifiers except IS EG Halal. This decision surprised American agriculture officials, including McKinney, who now heads the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

He testified that at the time, the United States dominated beef liver exports to Egypt, a critical revenue stream for American beef companies. The halal certification monopoly, he argued, could increase prices for Egyptian consumers, thereby discouraging the purchase of American meat.

Efforts to reverse monopoly

Before the call from Menendez, McKinney had made multiple attempts to reach out to Egyptian officials, including the ambassador in Washington, DC, and his Egyptian counterpart overseeing agricultural issues, urging them to reconsider the monopoly decision. He received no responses to these overtures.

The call from Menendez was a stark contrast. McKinney described the senator’s tone as “serious” and “curt,” feeling that Menendez was pressuring him to cease his efforts against the certification monopoly.

He recalled that Menendez cut him off early in his explanation of the USDA’s concerns. “I was interrupted very early in my explanation,” he said. “I didn’t get very far.”

The interruption left McKinney with a sense of something "nefarious" happening behind the scenes—a sentiment that defense attorneys for Menendez and Hana vehemently objected to, leading U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein to instruct the jury to disregard McKinney's speculative comment.

The USDA, under McKinney’s leadership, ceased its inquiries into the halal certification monopoly after learning of an FBI investigation into the matter. During the trial, Menendez’s attorneys framed the senator's call as a form of constituent service.

They argued that Menendez’s actions were within legal bounds, emphasizing his right to advocate for constituents and interact forcefully with federal employees if necessary.

“He’s allowed to advocate [for] a federal agency on behalf of a company that is a constituent,” asserted Avi Weitzman, Menendez’s attorney. “And he’s even allowed to yell at a federal employee. None of that is illegal. It’s his constitutionally protected role.”

However, discrepancies in USDA documents presented in court raised questions. One letter from McKinney to his Egyptian counterpart stated that seven halal certifiers were affected by the monopoly, while another USDA document indicated that only four certifiers were impacted.

Defense attorney Adam Fee highlighted these inconsistencies during cross-examination to cast doubt on the prosecution’s narrative.

Wael Hana, the proprietor of IS EG Halal, has a close relationship with Nadine Menendez, the senator’s wife. She was initially charged in the bribery scheme but is facing a separate trial due to health issues, per Politico.

Menendez slammed on social media

Social media erupted following the trial’s latest revelations, with many voicing their outrage over the senator's actions and some even likening him to the Bidens.

"Lock him up!" one posted on X.

"Sounds bribed," another chimed in.

"Kinda like Biden telling the Ukrainians to fire a prosecutor?" a comment read.

"Maybe he was coached by Hunter Biden," someone else quipped.

"He ain’t Trump, he’ll be fine," another offered.

The defense will resume their questioning of McKinney on Monday, June 3.

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