ENCORE: Bob Menendez: Bad Romance Part 1 | 185

We’ll be back in two weeks with all-new Scamfluencers episodes. In the meantime, we’re revisiting a political scandal that’s been back in the headlines recently – and we’ve added some updates since this story first aired. Bob Menendez rode an anti-corruption reputation to the highest levels of the New Jersey political machine. But as he ascends to the U. S. Senate, he realizes he can raise money the good old-fashioned way: through bribes. By the time he meets his one true love, Nadine Arslanian, Bob is no stranger to corruption, and as a senior member of the senate, he’s more than happy to use his influence to make his new girlfriend happy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Sarah Hagi?

  Audible subscribers can listen to all our episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

• 0:08Scaachi Koul?

  We'll be back in two weeks with all new episodes of Scamfluencers. But first, we wanted to revisit a political scandal that's been back in the headlines recently.

• 0:16Sarah Hagi?

  Yes, we are talking about Senator Bob Menendez, aka Gold Bar Bob. When we first covered him, he was under indictment for allegedly taking bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz.

• 0:29Scaachi Koul?

  He was convicted last year on 16 counts, including bribery, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent. And in January, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

• 0:39Sarah Hagi?

  As of this summer, he's officially behind bars. He reported to prison on June 17th. But that's not all. In September, his wife, Nadine Menendez, was also convicted in the same bribery scheme. She was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, along with three years of supervised release. At her sentencing, she called herself a puppet and said that her husband was, quote, "not the man I thought he was."

• 1:04Scaachi Koul?

  Oh, Sarah, they never are, are they?

• 1:07Sarah Hagi?

  They never are. In another detail, Bob tried to make amends before Nadine's sentencing by submitting a letter to the judge stating he regrets that his attorneys tried to place the blame on her. He wrote, "To suggest that Nadine was money hungry or in financial need and therefore would solicit others for help is simply wrong." I mean, nice try, I guess. Too little, too late, in my opinion.

• 1:31Scaachi Koul?

  Well, they'll have plenty of time to work it out, or not, while they complete their sentences. In the meantime, this feels like the perfect moment to revisit this love story gone wrong, and to see how Bob Menendez went from Senate heavyweight to cautionary tale.

• 1:45Sarah Hagi?

  So grab your metaphorical gold bars, settle in, and enjoy the encore of our episodes on Bob Menendez.

• 1:53Scaachi Koul?

  A note to our listeners. This episode involves mention of suicide. Please listen with care.

• 2:05Scaachi Koul?

  Sarah, what do you know about the Menendezes?

• 2:09Sarah Hagi?

  It's those brothers who like probably kill their parents, but everyone on TikTok thinks they're innocent. I'm too scared to learn more, to be honest.

• 2:17Scaachi Koul?

  Okay, that is not actually who I'm talking about. They do share a last name. I am talking about the politician power couple.

• 2:25Sarah Hagi?

  I have never heard of these people.

• 2:27Scaachi Koul?

  Okay, well, wonderful news, Sarah, because I am here to tell you all about the other less murdery Menendez pair. And, trust me, it is still a wild ride.

• 2:42Scaachi Koul?

  It's October 2019, and Bob Menendez is ready for the spotlight. Bob is 65, has a helmet of white hair, a round face, and wears roomless glasses. Picture middle management at the Keebler Elf Factory. Bob is actually a pretty powerful guy. He's a US senator from New Jersey, and he's the ranking member of the very important Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He's known as a ruthless politician. But for Bob, today is all about love. He's been on a whirlwind vacation with his girlfriend of a year and a half, Nadine Arslanian. Nadine looks way out of Bob's league. She's a striking blonde in her early 50s, tall and lean with olive skin. During this trip,

• 3:25Scaachi Koul?

  they've made stops in Greece, Turks and Caicos, and Colombia. But today, Bob has taken Nadine to the Taj Mahal. She's wearing a blue dress with flowers and sitting in front of him on a bench near the very one that Princess Diana made famous. A dusky haze falls over the famous palace as tourists stream in and out. The whole thing has a surreal, dreamlike quality to it, which makes it a popular place to pop the question. And that is exactly what Bob plans to do. A few months ago, Bob told Nadine he was going to propose to her by singing a certain song. But he wouldn't tell her what the song was or when he was going to do it. But now, as Nadine gazes up at him, he starts singing. Thankfully, someone with a video camera

• 4:10Scaachi Koul?

  was there to capture the moment, and I am going to make you watch it.

• 4:15Speaker 02

  All the stars we steal from the night sky never be enough. Never be enough.

• 4:28Sarah Hagi?

  This was disgusting to watch. It's like over a minute and 10 seconds of him just straight up singing before he sits beside her and proposes. Everything about it was gross and weird and uncomfortable, and I think public proposals are evil.

• 4:43Scaachi Koul?

  Okay, well, that's good to know. I won't propose to you in public. Well, the song is "Never Enough," which is from the movie musical The Greatest Showman. It's not hard to see why Bob might like it. The subject of the movie, P T Barnum, was the son of a tailor and eventually became a power player in government and a household name for his traveling circus. Bob is the son of a seamstress and carpenter, but now he's one of the most powerful people in the U.S. government. The other thing that Bob and P T Barnum have in common? They're both big-time fraudsters. Bob and Nadine's jet-setting love story comes with a hefty price tag, and they've been lining their pockets using Bob's influence and Nadine's connections with a foreign government.

• 5:27Scaachi Koul?

  They're riding high on their proposal for now, but the FBI is on to them. And soon, a federal investigation will reveal Bob's circus trick. Good, old-fashioned bribery.

• 5:46Scaachi Koul?

  From Wondery, I'm Scaachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggie. And this is Scamfluencers.

• 5:59Scaachi Koul?

  Today, I'm gonna tell you about a love story so epic that it undermined American democracy. When Senator Bob Menendez first entered politics, he wanted to root out corruption. But by the time he got together with Nadine Ursalian in 2018, he was more than happy to loan out the power of a senate seat for money, luxury items, and even gym equipment. This story isn't just about how far bribery will get you in New Jersey. It's also about how absolute power corrupts absolutely, and how far some men will go for the women of their dreams. This is Bob Menendez: Bad Romance, Part One.

• 6:41Scaachi Koul?

  It's the winter of 1982, and 28-year-old Bob Menendez is at the federal courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. He's wearing big glasses, a trench coat, and a bulletproof vest. Bob isn't being paranoid. He's about to testify in a high-profile corruption case, and a judge was recently assassinated during a similar trial. So he's taking extra precautions. Bob grew up in Union City, New Jersey, right across the Hudson River from Manhattan. His parents were immigrants who fled from Cuba in the 50s. Once they were in the US, Bob's dad worked as a carpenter while his mom worked as a seamstress. So, growing up, Bob's family didn't have a lot of money. When Bob got to high school, he had big sideburns and sideswept 70s bangs.

• 7:26Scaachi Koul?

  He was a good student. He did so well that his teachers wanted him to take honors classes. There was just one problem. They said that Bob had to pay for the extra books.

• 7:37Scaachi Koul?

  Having to pay for the extra books just didn't feel right to Bob. Thankfully, he was working as a teenage aide to a local Democratic power player, William Musto. William was in the state legislature at the time, and he used some political muscle to help Bob organize a successful petition drive to reform the city's school board. This gives Bob a taste of local politics. And a couple of years later, when Bob was just 20, he actually won a seat on that very same school board. And that year, William was elected mayor of Union City.

• 8:10Sarah Hagi?

  Wow, that is quite a trajectory. I mean, obviously, as many scammers, he started off very ambitious and hardworking.

• 8:18Scaachi Koul?

  Yes, but his happiness does not really last. A few years after that, Bob's father dies by suicide. Bob started to see William as a father figure, as well as a mentor. And in the late 70s, just as Bob was finishing up law school, while still serving on the school board, he approached William with another problem. Bob discovered that a company owned by a mob hitman had been overcharging the district for construction on two high schools. He took the problem to William, but the mayor didn't take any action to stop the corruption. In fact, Bob was taken off the project entirely. He was forced to face reality. His mentor was just another corrupt New Jersey politician. And this is why Bob is at the courthouse today.

• 9:03Scaachi Koul?

  He's testifying against William in a bribery case.

• 9:07Sarah Hagi?

  Oh my God, that is crazy. Like, someone who basically became your second father, your mentor, and then you just see that they're a cheater?

• 9:17Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. Well, Bob is determined to stick to his principles and go after corruption, even when it means facing down a powerhouse like William. At least, that's how Bob tells it. For what it's worth, Bob is testifying against William while also running for mayor against him. And even though William is found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison, in classic New Jersey fashion, he still wins the election. After this loss, it seems like Bob's political career might be over before it even begins. But just like he showed by taking the stand, Bob isn't gonna go down without a fight.

• 9:57Scaachi Koul?

  Bob is humiliated by his loss to William, but he keeps his eye on the prize. For the next four years, he builds his law practice. And then, in 1986, he runs for mayor again. And this time, he wins. From there, he advances steadily through the political ranks. He gets elected to the New Jersey State Assembly and then the State Senate. In 1992, 10 years after he testified against his former mentor, Bob wins a seat in the US House of Representatives. His political stock is rising, but he wants more. Former staffers later told Vanity Fair that Bob always wanted to be rich, but he didn't want to have to kiss donors' asses at fancy fundraisers. Unfortunately for Bob, he does not have much of a choice.

• 10:42Scaachi Koul?

  That's why, in 1993, a couple of months after his election to Congress, he's at a Democratic Party fundraiser in South Florida. It's a $250-a-plate dinner with about 50 donors. And one of them is a prominent local eye doctor named Solomon Melgen. Solomon is in his late 30s with a round face and a slightly receding hairline. After an investment in a supercomputer system made him a multimillionaire, he became a prominent political donor in Florida. When Bob meets Solomon, he senses a kindred spirit. They're about the same age, and they both have Latin American backgrounds. Solomon is from the Dominican Republic. At the fundraiser, Solomon gives Bob $500. It's a small start, but soon enough, the two men become buddies,

• 11:26Scaachi Koul?

  to the point where their families start vacationing together. And Bob might hate sucking up to most donors, but he and Solomon legitimately seem to love hanging out. Bob attends Solomon's daughter's wedding, and Solomon flies to be by Bob's side after his mother dies. And Solomon is probably there for his friend in 2005, after Bob's divorce from his first wife. In 2006, Bob gets a big promotion. He's appointed to the Senate. Given their close friendship, it's no surprise that, months later, when it's time for him to run for a full term, he knows that he can rely on his friend. Solomon flies Bob around on a private jet, holds fundraisers for him, and makes large donations to his campaign. In November 2006, Bob wins.

• 12:10Sarah Hagi?

  I understand this is probably a genuine friendship, but it reeks of "you scratch my back, I scratch yours."

• 12:18Scaachi Koul?

  Sarah, I think it's a lot like our friendship in so many ways.

• 12:22Sarah Hagi?

  We scratch each other's backs, and it works.

• 12:24Scaachi Koul?

  And we also do lots of fraud. Now, we don't know exactly when Bob starts using his power to help Solomon, but he is definitely doing it once he's in the Senate. For instance, in 2008, Solomon tells Bob that his 22-year-old Dominican model girlfriend was supposed to get a visa to visit him for the holidays, but her application was denied. Could Bob fix the problem? Bob reaches out to the ambassador, and Solomon's girlfriend gets her visa almost immediately. Then, Bob goes on to secure visas for two of Solomon's other girlfriends. But soon, Solomon will ask Bob for even bigger favors, ones that veer into outright corruption.

• 13:08Scaachi Koul?

  It's June 2009. Bob has been in the Senate for about three years. And today, he's emailing a staffer to let them know that Solomon needs help. His friend has a Medicare problem. The problem is that Solomon overbilled Medicare for a drug that he used in his practice, to the tune of almost $9 million. Bob initiates conversations on Solomon's behalf with the Senate Majority Leader's office, and even with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. But his efforts to make Solomon's problem go away are in vain. Two years later, Bob gets another chance to help out his friend. Solomon tells Bob that he has an ownership stake in a port security company, and this

• 13:50Scaachi Koul?

  company has a $500 million contract with the government of the Dominican Republic. But the government is trying to back out of the deal. Bob steps in. By this time, he's not just on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which helps shape legislation related to foreign affairs. He's also the chair of the subcommittee that oversees the Dominican Republic. So Bob may be better positioned than anyone in the country to lean on both the state and the Commerce Departments to persuade them to enforce the contract. And that's what he does. Bob really isn't supposed to be doing this. Yes, the rules are a little fuzzy, but Bob has been accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of gifts from Solomon for years.

• 14:34Scaachi Koul?

  He's supposed to report these in his financial disclosure reports, but he hasn't. So when he starts pushing to enforce the contract, he's omitting some very relevant information.

• 14:46Sarah Hagi?

  And if he is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that means he is quite influential. Like, he's not just like some regular guy.

• 14:54Scaachi Koul?

  Well, he's actually about to get even more powerful. Because a couple of years later, in January 2013, Bob is sworn in as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He's the first Latino to hold the job, and it's a huge moment for him. But as he's going through the pomp and circumstance of the swearing-in ceremony, the FBI is raiding Solomon's Palm Beach Eye Clinic, along with several of his other businesses. Because Solomon isn't just overbilling Medicare for one drug. He's also been falsely diagnosing patients with a retinal disorder called macular degeneration and billing for related tests and procedures. So Medicare fraud.

• 15:34Scaachi Koul?

  The raid forces Bob to spend his first month as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee playing defense. Because now, there's a public spotlight on Bob's friendship with Solomon, and a growing FBI investigation. Bob tries to cover his tracks by paying Solomon back for two free flights to the Dominican Republic, but he's taken more than a dozen. And remember, none of these flights have ever been disclosed properly, and that's just one part of the investigation. After about a year of scrutiny, in 2014, Bob's campaign pays a quarter of a million dollars to retain a Washington law firm and set up a legal defense fund. It might seem like, even with all his power, Bob is fully cooked.

• 16:17Scaachi Koul?

  But he's about to get support from a surprising ally, a part of the government even more corrupt than he is. In April 2015, Bob walks into a stuffy conference room in Newark. He's just been indicted on federal corruption charges related to his relationship with Solomon. But the room is full of supporters who erupt in applause when he walks in. Flanked by the American and the New Jersey state flags, Bob delivers a speech defending his record as an anti-corruption politician. He even evokes his stand, decades ago, against William Musto. Bob might have a good origin story, but the indictment tells a different one. It includes reams of emails that show Bob interceding to help Solomon with his Medicare

• 17:01Scaachi Koul?

  fraud troubles, his port security contract, and, of course, his girlfriend's visas. The indictment shows that Bob accepted private jet rides, fundraisers, and large donations to his political action committee. Still, he has supporters in New Jersey and in the Senate, where he continues to serve for the more than two years it takes for the case to finally go to trial. Things look bad for Bob, but in June 2016, about two months before the trial is supposed to begin, he gets an unexpected gift. The Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in a case called McDonald versus United States. The decision redefines bribery for politicians so that it only applies if someone is given money or goods in exchange for, quote, "official acts."

• 17:47Scaachi Koul?

  But the justices significantly narrow the definition of what an official act is. They say it needs to be something like calling a hearing or filing a lawsuit. Sarah, can you read how the SCOTUS blog characterizes the changes?

• 17:59Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, it says, "To qualify as an official act, the public official must make a decision to take an action on that question or matter or agree to do so. Setting up a meeting, talking to another official, or organizing an event without more does not fit the definition of an official act." So to me, this sounds like you have to receive whatever gift or amount of money and say, "This is a bribe, and I'm using this bribe to pass this law, and that's what counts as a bribe." Otherwise, I guess it's pretty vague?

• 18:31Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. Thanks to the Supreme Court, it is now much more difficult to call something a bribe. And what looked like a slam dunk corruption trial becomes a disaster for the prosecution. Given that the burden is on them, the more confusing things get, the harder it is for them to make a firm case. About a week into the trial, the prosecution calls a woman named Vitlana Busek as a witness. She's a part-time model from Ukraine and one of Solomon's many girlfriends, who Bob helped get a visa. She shows up to the courthouse looking like mob wife Morticia, with long, black hair, an all-black outfit, and blood-red nails. Here's a photo of her.

• 19:11Sarah Hagi?

  I mean, listen, this woman is very hot, and she does look like someone who would be in The Sopranos, for sure.

• 19:17Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, I love her immediately. Well, the prosecution wants Vitlana to establish that Bob manipulated the system to get her a visa in exchange for money and favors. Instead, her testimony ends up supporting the defense's argument, that Solomon was doing things like loaning Bob a private jet or giving him big gifts as a friend. She talks about how Solomon called Bob "hermano." She insists that the two of them are just besties. When one of the defense attorneys asks if she knows why she's in court, she says no. Instead, she points to the lead prosecutor and says, quote, "I don't know why I'm here. He has just been forcing me to be here." She also implies that she finds the prosecutor boring,

• 20:01Scaachi Koul?

  which sends the courtroom into peals of laughter. As she leaves the courtroom, she throws Solomon a cute little smirk.

• 20:10Sarah Hagi?

  Okay, I love her and she deserves some kind of award for that performance.

• 20:16Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. This is like, what's that scene in My Cousin Vinny? Like, the defense is wrong, except it's the other way around.

• 20:23Sarah Hagi?

  Yes, that's exactly it. I mean, she's just like, I guess I'm here, but whatever. Queen, icon.

• 20:31Scaachi Koul?

  Well, Svidlana isn't Bob's only ally in the courtroom. Cory Booker, the other senator from New Jersey, testifies on Bob's behalf. Cory is in his late 40s with a shaved bald head and a wide smile, and he is very charming on the stand. He emphasizes how Bob stands up for the people of New Jersey, and Cory might really believe that. But Democrats are also trying to protect Bob, because if he's found guilty, he could be expelled from the Senate. And if that happens, New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie, would get to pick his replacement.

• 21:08Scaachi Koul?

  All of these defenses add up. And just before Thanksgiving, Bob's case ends in a mistrial. 10 jurors think he's innocent, while only two think he's guilty. After this debacle, the prosecution decides not to pursue the charges any further. Bob escaped this trial with his political career intact. He could go back to his roots and stay on the straight and narrow, but he's about to find a partner in crime who will fill his life with even more plotting and international intrigue: a single mom from New Jersey.

• 21:53Scaachi Koul?

  It's New Year's Day 2018, and 50-year-old Nadine Arslanian sits in her split-level home in the middle-class suburb of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Nadine is a single mom with grown children. She's very popular in the Bergen County dating scene, but not everyone is wild about her. For example, Nadine has been mingling with the Real Housewives of New Jersey cast for years, ever since she started going to fashion shows at a boutique owned by Kim D., a friend of several housewives and enemy to even more. But she's a little much, even for them. Kim D. later tells Vanity Fair that while all of her friends enjoy getting Botox and buying designer clothes, Nadine is even more obsessed with these status symbols.

• 22:39Sarah Hagi?

  Okay. If a Real Housewife, and more specifically, a Real Housewife of New Jersey, finds you a bit much, that means you are scary. You are a scary person. I can only assume you are a ball of fire, an active house fire. You are arson. Yes, absolutely. Like, that is a powerful woman.

• 23:00Scaachi Koul?

  Well, there is someone who's always accepted Nadine, her friend, Bob Menendez. She first met Bob in 2008, and they've stayed in touch for the past decade. Nadine calls him every year on his birthday, and today, Bob is turning 64. Nadine has always felt a connection to Bob. Like him, she comes from a family of refugees and immigrants. Her grandparents fled the Armenian genocide and landed in Lebanon, where Nadine was born. After a civil war broke out in the '70s, her family moved again, this time to America. Nadine thrived in the US and ended up getting a degree in international politics. But after she got married in 1989, she had two kids and prioritized being a wife and a mother.

• 23:44Scaachi Koul?

  She got divorced in 2005, and things got rough. Her kids went to an expensive private school, and money was so tight that her house was on the verge of foreclosure. She's been desperately trying to get back on her feet. Her dating life hasn't been going much better. Several of her exes have described Nadine as being extremely insecure and possessive. And in 2010, she was even arrested for entering the home of a man she had been court-ordered not to contact. Before the cops took her away, she managed to throw a photo album at him.

• 24:16Sarah Hagi?

  This is a very dramatic timeline and someone like Bob who's scamming might not be a great idea to be around such a loose cannon. I don't know.

• 24:26Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, a lot of suggestions could be made here. Well, the most promising relationship Nadine's had since her divorce has been with a lawyer named Doug, who represented R. Kelly and several reality TV clients. And he and Nadine have traveled the world together, but they aren't super serious. They're both seeing other people. Bob's not having much luck on the dating scene either. His last girlfriend recently dumped him because she couldn't take the stress of his legal issues. During his birthday call with Nadine, Bob drops a bombshell. He asks her if she's still dating that Doug lawyer and confesses that he's been in love with her since they first met. Nadine thinks this could be the real thing. Bob could be her knight in shining armor. And just a few months after they start dating,

• 25:11Scaachi Koul?

  he whisks her away to one of his favorite playgrounds, the Dominican Republic. The only problem is that Nadine is so head over heels in love, she neglects to tell anyone that she's leaving the country, including her children. And even her on-again, off-again boyfriend Doug later tells the New York Post that he filed a missing persons report. The situation eventually gets cleared up, but it's an early sign that this couple is madly in love and maybe a little out of their minds.

• 25:43Scaachi Koul?

  It's March 2018 and Wael Hannah is striding towards Capitol Hill. Wael is 34 years old with short, dark hair and resting bitch face. He's here to meet with his old friend Nadine and her new boyfriend Bob. And he is desperate. Wael came to the US from Egypt more than 10 years ago after winning the visa lottery. But it hasn't been easy. He's cycled through a bunch of failed businesses, including a limo company, a truck stop, and even an Italian restaurant. He's in dire straits. Like Nadine, his house is on the verge of foreclosure. Wael does have one thing going for him. He's well-connected with Egyptian government officials.

• 26:25Scaachi Koul?

  But that hasn't translated into any real money or power. Until now. Wael and Nadine became friends a few years ago, in part because they have a lot in common. They're both immigrants who speak multiple languages and work hard. But they just can't seem to catch a break. So Wael hatched a plan. He recently started another business, a halal meat company. And according to federal prosecutors, his plan was pretty straightforward. Wael's friends in the Egyptian government will award a monopoly contract to his company so long as Bob uses his power as the head of the Foreign Relations Committee to loosen up military and financial aid to Egypt. In exchange for Bob's help,

• 27:08Scaachi Koul?

  Wael will hire Nadine for a high-paying, basically fake job. And Bob is already on board with the plan. Wael is here today in Washington to go with Bob and Nadine to a meeting with some Egyptian officials. This is all pretty out in the open. They even snap a picture to commemorate the moment. Here, take a look.

• 27:27Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, you know, it's a photo in an office. It's very vibilist. It's a bunch of guys in suits. Our boy, Wael, Nadine, and Bob. And you couldn't imagine three people who belong together less.

• 27:42Scaachi Koul?

  It looks like they just got shoved together into a room, just three random people.

• 27:47Sarah Hagi?

  They shouldn't know each other or be around each other. That's the vibe I'm getting when I look at this. That screams fraud to me, really.

• 27:53Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. Well, over the next year, Bob, Nadine, and Wael have several more meetings with Egyptian officials. Federal prosecutors later alleged that Bob wielded his power in the Senate to advocate for additional military aid for Egypt, and that Nadine worked as a go-between to pass along information. For example, at one point, Bob texted Nadine some sensitive information about personnel at the US Embassy in Cairo, and she passed it along to Wael, who sent it to the Egyptian officials. This high-stakes game of telephone eventually pays off. In April 2019, the Egyptian government grants Wael's company a monopoly on certifying that meat exports from the US to Egypt are compliant with halal standards.

• 28:37Scaachi Koul?

  But the plan almost immediately runs into another obstacle: the US Department of Agriculture. The USDA prepares a report warning that this monopoly will increase the costs of halal certification and could even cause a disruption in the US market. They start looking into the deal. And federal prosecutors later say that Bob comes to Wael's defense, calling a USDA official and telling him not to interfere. I think now is maybe a good time to talk about the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Sarah, do you know what that is?

• 29:09Sarah Hagi?

  I do not know what that is at all. Never heard of it.

• 29:11Scaachi Koul?

  Well, it's a law that requires private US citizens to register as foreign agents in order to prevent covert influence. A foreign agent is someone who represents the interests of a foreign country or entity within the United States. And while Nadine could just claim that she forgot to register, people in the federal government aren't allowed to act as foreign agents, ever. At the end of the day, Wael winds up keeping his halal monopoly. He's finally gotten a financial foothold in the US. But he's also gotten himself involved in a bigger conspiracy. And while he has a cozy relationship with a senator, another part of the government is about to start breathing down his neck: the FBI.

• 29:55Scaachi Koul?

  It's May 21, 2019. An FBI agent, Teri Williams-Thompson, is at Morton's Steakhouse in Washington, DC. Teri, a petite woman in her early 40s, is wearing a black dress. And it might look like she's on a date, but she's actually at work. She's been with the FBI for more than a decade, so surveilling someone at a restaurant is pretty routine. Teri is positioned to observe her target, but then she notices someone else walk into the restaurant: Senator Bob Menendez. Even though Bob isn't her intended target, Teri ends up paying a lot of attention to him and his dinner companions. They include Wael and at least one Egyptian intelligence officer. Teri records everything, but she can't hear most of the conversation herself.

• 30:40Scaachi Koul?

  That is, except for something Nadine says. What else can the love of my life do for you? We actually have one of the photos that the FBI took of the dinner right here, Sarah.

• 30:51Sarah Hagi?

  This is an incredible creep shot. It looks like when someone is trying to take a photo of a celebrity at a restaurant. It's just like, you can't really make anyone out, but you do see Nadine, and she's looking at Bob with adoring eyes.

• 31:05Scaachi Koul?

  Just enough to make it to Dinwiddie, that's for sure.

• 31:08Sarah Hagi?

  Oh, totally.

• 31:09Scaachi Koul?

  Well, Terry must pass the information up the chain, because before long, the FBI is on Bob's tail. And a couple of months after that, he funnels $23,568.54 into a fake consulting company that Nadine has set up, the exact amount she needs to save her house from foreclosure and bring her mortgage current. Terry and the feds are watching carefully and see firsthand how Bob, Nadine, and Wael have gotten comfortable dining out on the power of Bob's office. But soon enough, the bill is going to come due.

• 31:48Scaachi Koul?

  Three months later, Jose Arribey relaxes with Bob and Nadine in their backyard. They're sitting around enjoying brandy and cigars. Jose is a New Jersey insurance broker in his early 50s with close cropped salt and pepper hair. Jose met the couple through Wael last year, and since then, he's been trying to build a relationship with them. Because, like so many other people, Jose wants Bob's help. One of Jose's associates is being investigated for insurance fraud, and Jose knows that he will be implicated too. He's hoping that Bob can help keep the feds off of his back. Jose has already done his part by throwing Bob a fundraiser. And after hearing from Wael that Nadine wanted a new car, Jose arranged a handoff of $15,000 in cash,

• 32:33Scaachi Koul?

  which Nadine used as a down payment on a new Mercedes. Jose then starts making the cars' monthly payments. Lots of Bob and Nadine's texts later become public, so we know what Nadine texted Bob immediately after getting the car. Sarah, would you please read it for us?

• 32:50Sarah Hagi?

  Yes. Nadine texts Bob, "Congratulations, mon amour de la vie. We are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes. Heart." It always is humiliating when we have to read texts between couples. It's so embarrassing.

• 33:08Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah. I never want to talk to a man again after these.

• 33:11Sarah Hagi?

  Also, that is definitely evidence.

• 33:15Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, it sure is. Well, Nadine is obviously pleased, but by the time he's swirling brandy in Bob's backyard, Jose is probably frustrated. Months have gone by since he helped Nadine get her car, and he hasn't heard any real updates about his case. At some point, Nadine heads inside, leaving Jose alone with Bob. And Bob gives him good news. He's about to meet with the New Jersey Attorney General to talk about the insurance fraud case. But Bob needs to make sure he knows who he's going to bat for. So he summons Nadine by ringing a little bell, and she materializes with a piece of paper in hand. Bob tells Jose to write down the names of his associates and tucks the list into his pocket.

• 33:59Sarah Hagi?

  You know, ringing the bell to summon Nadine is absolutely crazy, but it also does make me think that these two have some sort of sick dynamic that proves they're really in love. I get bribery and craziness is a big part of it, but they kind of match each other's freak, and I'm sorry to say that.

• 34:18Scaachi Koul?

  Okay, cool, gross, and weird, and troubling. In any case, a couple of weeks later, Jose sees that Bob has dramatically proposed to Nadine in front of the Taj Mahal. I'm sure you remember that haunting melody from the beginning of this episode. Well, soon after the proposal, Jose gets a call from Bob. He later says that Bob told him, quote, "That thing you asked me about, there's nothing there. I give you your peace." In other words, Bob has made Jose's legal troubles go away. Bob is blissfully engaged, and Jose doesn't need to worry about going to prison. But another party is about to butt in on their happiness.

• 35:01Scaachi Koul?

  It's the middle of December, three months after Bob's backyard meeting with Jose. He's standing on the Senate floor, about to give a very important speech. After four unsuccessful attempts, the Senate has unanimously voted to formally recognize the Armenian genocide and honor the memory of its 1.5 million victims. Given how much Nadine cares about her Armenian heritage, you can imagine how huge this is for her. Here's what Bob says on the floor.

• 35:28Speaker 03

  We have just passed the Armenian genocide resolution recognition.

• 35:34Speaker 03

  And it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian genocide.

• 35:46Scaachi Koul?

  It's such a moving moment that even Ted Cruz, who sucks, gets up and says some supportive words. The only person who seems to dislike the resolution is then-President Trump, who's mainly concerned with maintaining a good relationship with the president of Turkey, much like a certain New York City mayor.

• 36:05Sarah Hagi?

  Yeah, I mean, that is kind of surprising. He made that statement because it is pretty overtly political. And for some people, it is like controversial, right?

• 36:15Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah.

• 36:16Sarah Hagi?

  So further proof that they're really in love.

• 36:19Scaachi Koul?

  My God. Well, things still aren't all roses for Bob. Because a few weeks ago, the feds raided Wael's home and offices and confiscated a ton of evidence that might lead back to him. But for some reason, maybe because he's avoided consequences for so long, Bob doesn't seem worried. And a couple of months after the big Senate vote in March 2020, he holds a secret meeting in his office at DC with a general who happens to be Egypt's top spy. This guy has a new mission for Bob. Apparently, Ethiopia is building a hydroelectric dam on the Nile River. Egypt is worried that the dam will cut into their water supply, and they want the project shut down. A few weeks after their meeting,

• 37:04Scaachi Koul?

  Bob writes to two cabinet secretaries to pressure the State Department to get more involved in the dispute over the dam. This time, Bob and Nadine aren't just nudging more aid dollars towards Egypt. They're potentially interfering with the water supply of multiple countries in a tense region. And what does it get them? In exchange for helping with the dam, Wael buys Nadine and Bob stuff, things like exercise machines and an air purifier.

• 37:32Sarah Hagi?

  They are so selfish and so focused on their own hedonism that they're not even like, hmm, you know what? There are actual people and countries and, you know, resources involved in this. Maybe we should not get involved and do something smaller to get our exercise equipment.

• 37:49Scaachi Koul?

  Rich people always want more stuff, like stuff they can already purchase.

• 37:55Scaachi Koul?

  Well, a few months after that, in October 2020, Bob and Nadine get married at the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Queens. Nadine wears a tiered white cupcake of a dress, and they look giddy as teenagers as they cut into their cake. Now, Nadine doesn't just have a new husband. She also has a good reputation. She's becoming known as the woman who convinced the Senate to recognize the Armenian genocide. But Bob is walking on a razor's edge, and he's about to make things even worse by finding another, even wealthier, foreign client.

• 38:41Scaachi Koul?

  It's September 2021, about a year after Bob and Nadine's wedding. Bob is at another fancy, private party. This one's in Manhattan, and it's being hosted by the government of Qatar. Bob is here with another old friend, Fred Davies. Like a lot of Bob's friends, Fred looks like he walked off the set of The Bada Bing. He's a real estate developer in his mid-60s, olive-skinned with white hair, and he really likes to sport an open, popped collar, usually with a gold chain. Fred spent the first 10 years of his life in a Palestinian refugee camp before emigrating to New Jersey. Like Bob, his father died when he was young, leaving him to support his four younger siblings. But despite all of this adversity,

• 39:24Scaachi Koul?

  Fred managed to build a real estate empire. Oh, and another thing he has in common with Bob? He too is super corrupt. Fred actually helped Wael set up his halal business. And for a while, he was also dealing with fraud charges related to manipulating the FDIC. But last year, he got Bob to step in and help.

• 39:46Sarah Hagi?

  I feel like it seems kinda like Bob is a lot more interested in helping these randos stay out of prison than doing his job as a senator.

• 39:55Scaachi Koul?

  Well, federal prosecutors later say that around this time, Fred's getting Bob's help with another project. Fred wants Qatar to invest in a real estate deal. The Qatari royal family is worth about $150 billion, so getting them to invest would be huge. To help Fred out, Bob has been publicly praising the country. A month earlier, he lauded Qatar for taking in Afghan refugees. And it's a big deal for the country's government because they're taking a lot of heat for human rights violations and for the thousands of deaths related to construction for hosting the 2022 World Cup. Bob continues to help Fred by attending this fancy party in New York hosted by Qatar. And Fred appreciates it.

• 40:38Scaachi Koul?

  According to prosecutors, several days later, as a thank you for securing his connection with the country, Fred sends Bob pictures of Patek Philippe watches and asks him to pick out his favorite. And around this time, too, he starts giving Bob gold bars, just straight up gold bars. Soon after that, Bob and Nadine take a trip to Egypt and Qatar. And when they get back, Fred sends a chauffeur to pick them up at JFK. As they drive to Nadine's house, Bob takes out his phone and Googles, "How much is one kilo of gold worth?"

• 41:11Sarah Hagi?

  This is so funny because this is an incriminating Google search to me. Like, that soon, in those exact words, hold off a little bit. Find a way to find out without doing that.

• 41:24Scaachi Koul?

  Yeah, we're gonna put this on our scam bingo board, for sure. But not everything is working out as planned. Bob could not get rid of Fred's charges entirely. So in April 2022, but seven months after the big Qatar party, Fred pleads guilty to federal banking crimes and is sentenced to probation. He was facing down a long prison sentence, so he's still relieved to avoid jail time. And besides, things are going well for Fred. A month after he pleads guilty, the Qatari deal gets the official go-ahead. As a thank you, Fred gives Bob and Nadine yet another gold bar. For now, the bars stand as a testament to Bob's success as a schemer, but they're about to turn into fool's gold.

• 42:07Scaachi Koul?

  A couple of months later, in June 2022, Bob and Nadine make one of their regular trips down to Washington DC. When they return to New Jersey, they find their home in disarray. The house looks like it's been robbed, but Bob and Nadine come to find that it was actually federal agents executing a search warrant. The agents went through the couple's filing cabinets, desk drawers, dressers, wardrobes, and closets. They seized $480,000 in cash, stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing. They also took 13 gold bars. When Bob and Nadine see the mess and everything that's been taken, Bob is furious. FBI agents even broke down doors that weren't locked in the first place.

• 42:51Scaachi Koul?

  Shortly after, the FBI serves subpoenas to Nadine, Bob, Jose, and Wael's Halal Company. One gift the feds are particularly interested in is Nadine's Mercedes-Benz convertible. Jose has been paying Nadine's car note, but after the raid, Bob and Nadine know that she'll need to start making the payments herself to avoid suspicion. Nadine meets with Jose and asks him what he'll do if law enforcement comes sniffing around. He tells her that he'll say that the payments were a loan. Satisfied, Nadine walks away from the meeting feeling like she's dodged a bullet. And it seems like Jose's approach gives Bob and Nadine an idea for how to avoid looking like they were taking bribes. Because by December 2022,

• 43:34Scaachi Koul?

  about six months after the FBI raid of their home, the couple cut a check to Wael for about 23 grand, the amount that Wael had paid to help Nadine save her house. In the memo line, Bob writes, "to liquidate loan." Bob and Nadine may seem like a united front, in love and in lying, but about a year after the raid, Bob makes a strategic move. His lawyer meets with US attorneys for the Southern District of New York, and prosecutors later claim that when asked about his relationship to Wael and the money that was funneled into Nadine's bank account, his lawyer says that Bob only found out about the payments after the raid. Now, this may seem small, but Bob has survived decades in New Jersey politics

• 44:16Scaachi Koul?

  and won federal indictment. He knows how to work an angle. And this angle is, "I don't know anything about this. You should ask my wife." Bob knows that an indictment is coming. And when it comes down to saving his reputation as a line of the Senate, or his reputation as an all-time wife guy, he's about to make his priorities very, very clear. Stay tuned for part two of the series next week.

• 44:51Scaachi Koul?

  This is Bob Menendez: Bad Romance, Part One. I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggy. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us at [email protected]. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were "In Bygone Days: Menendez Fought Graft With Courage" by Jim Dwyer for The New York Times, "Nadine and Bob Menendez's Flashy, Allegedly Corrupt Romance" by Nina Burley for New York Magazine, and "The Case of the Developer: The Halal Exporter, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and His Wife" by Dan Adler for Vanity Fair. Our associate producer, Charlotte Miller, wrote this episode. Additional writing by us: Sachi Cole and Sarah Haggy. Olivia Bryley and Eric Thurmer are our story editors.

• 45:36Scaachi Koul?

  Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Sound design by James Morgan. Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Stoff Velazquez for Frieze on Sync. Our managing producers are Matt Gant and Desi Blalock. Our senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. Jenny and Cornelo and Stephanie Jens are our development producers. Our other associate producer is Lexi Peery. Our producers are John Reed, Yasmin Ward, and Kate Young. Our senior producers are Sarah Enney and Ginny Bloom. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer-Beckman, Marshall Louis, and Erin O'Flaherty. For Wondery.

• 46:15Scaachi Koul?

  Follow Scanfluencers on the Audible app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of Scanfluencers ad-free by joining Audible.