In a shocking turn of events, federal prosecutors have accused Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey of accepting bribes in exchange for his influence over U.S. assistance to Egypt and favors for New Jersey businessmen. The 39-page indictment, unveiled on Friday, details the alleged bribes, which include a luxury car, expensive exercise machines, mortgage payments, bars of gold bullion, and over $500,000 in cash.

The indictment also implicates Mr. Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, as well as three businessmen: Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, and Jose Uribe. All five defendants are facing charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. The senator and his wife are also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Menendez used his official position to influence arms sales and U.S. aid to Egypt. He had been introduced to Wael Hana, an American-Egyptian businessman, by his then-girlfriend Nadine Arslanian. Hana, who had connections with top intelligence and military officials in Egypt, arranged meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials, who made requests of the senator. In one text, Hana referred to Menendez as "our man."

The indictment alleges that Menendez facilitated military equipment sales and financing to Egypt in exchange for Hana putting Nadine Menendez on his company's payroll for a low- or no-show job. Menendez even reportedly shared "highly sensitive" information from the State Department about employees at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo with Hana, who then forwarded it to an Egyptian government official.

Prosecutors also claim that Menendez ghostwrote a lobbying letter from an Egyptian official asking U.S. senators to release $300 million in aid, which had been withheld due to human rights concerns. The indictment includes text messages from Nadine Menendez bragging about her husband's influence and promising to make Hana "more powerful than the president of Egypt."

The indictment further reveals that Menendez took action to help Hana's company, IS EG Halal Certified Inc., by pressuring a “high-level” official at the United States Department of Agriculture to stop opposing the company's monopoly on certifying U.S. food exports to Egypt as compliant with halal standards. This resulted in increased costs for U.S. meat suppliers. Hana's company later paid Nadine Menendez $23,000 to bring her mortgage payments up to date.

In addition to these allegations, the indictment accuses Menendez of accepting money and valuable items in exchange for interfering in a criminal prosecution and investigation. Prosecutors claim that Menendez pressured a senior prosecutor at the New Jersey attorney general's office to resolve a criminal case in favor of one of Jose Uribe's business associates. Uribe and Menendez allegedly offered to buy Nadine Menendez a new Mercedes-Benz convertible worth over $60,000 in exchange for the senator's intervention.

The indictment also highlights Menendez's attempt to influence the federal prosecution of Fred Daibes, a businessman and longtime fundraiser for Menendez. The senator allegedly recommended a lawyer to be appointed as U.S. attorney for New Jersey because he believed he could influence the handling of Daibes's case.

This is not the first time Menendez has faced corruption charges. In 2015, he was charged with bribery and performing political favors for a wealthy eye doctor in exchange for lavish gifts. The trial ended in a hung jury, and Menendez was later acquitted of several charges. However, this time around, he faces calls to resign from his colleagues and a growing number of Democratic figures in New Jersey.

As the scandal unfolds, Menendez's Democratic primary opponent, Kyle Jasey, has called the indictment an "embarrassment for our state," while another New Jersey congressman, Andy Kim, has declared his candidacy in response to the allegations. Menendez's colleagues in the Senate have accepted his temporary resignation as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee but have not asked him to leave office. The trial will undoubtedly have significant implications for Menendez's political career and the future of New Jersey politics.