Office under Grewal cleared of actions in Menendez case
By: Kristie Cattafi
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... An independent internal inquiry into the state Attorney General's Office found that there was no misconduct connected to the corruption case of former Senator Bob Menendez, Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Friday. [01/17/2025]
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In 2023, after the first unsealed indictment of Menendez, which included his wife and three businessmen, by the Southern District of New York. Platkin announced an independent internal inquiry into the allegations in connection with his predecessor and office.
..... The indictment alleged that Menendez tried to pressure a senior member of the office under former Attorney Gernral Gurbir Grewal.
..... Menendez and his business associates Wael Hana and Fred Daibes were found guilty on a combined 18 counts of charges including bribery, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts he faced.
..... Memendez, Daibes and Hana are scheduled to be sentenced on January 29. [2025] The trial of Nadine Arslanian Menendez the senator's wife, was delayed because of a breast cancer diagnosis and will begin in February. [2025] Jose Uribe was charged alongside Bob and Nadine Menendez, but he entered a guilty plea after making a deal with federal prosecutors.
..... "Despite Mr. Menendez's attempts to interfere with criminal matters handled by this Office, he was ultimately unsuccessful," Platkin said in a statement Friday. [01/17/2025] "the work done by the men and women of the Department of Law and Public Safety is some of the most critical and sensitive work being done to promote public safety in this country."
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During the nine-week trial, Grewal testified and described a "gross" meeting with Menendez.
..... During the trial, federal prosecutors said Menendez sought to have Grewal, the state's top prosecutor form 2018 through 2021, intervene in cases involving two associates of Uribe.
.... In exchange, Uribe helped Menendez and his wife buy a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz convertible with money disguised as a loan.
..... Grewal testified for the prosecution and said Menendez, during a phone call and a meeting in 2019, told him the attorney general's insurance fraud unit treated Hispanic defendants in the trucking industry differently from others.
..... Menendez told Grewal that he was referring to a specific case. During the trial, Grewal said he advised Menendez to instruct the defendant;s lawyer to go through proper channels by speaking with individual prosecutors.
..... "I can talk to you about this," Grewal said he told Menendez at the September meeting at the senator's office in Newark, which Grewal's deputy, Andrew Bruck, also attended.
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Grewal, who is now head of enforcement at the U's. Securities and Exchange commission, said while testifying that Menendez did not identify the case or ask for specific help, but that it was "pretty unprecedented" for an elected official to ask about a pending criminal matter.
..... "Andrew said to me, 'Whoa, that was gross,'" Grewal said, referring to a comment Bruck made after the September meeting.
..... "in particular, I want to commend former Attorneys General Gurbir Grewal and Andrew Bruck for their many years of selfless service to the people of this State. They were - and are - exemplary public servants," Platkin said in his statement.