In
Menendez Trial
Grewal Says He
Worried of
Angering an
Ally of
Governor Dick
Codey Cited
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 6 – Amid reports of
investigation against Sen.
Robert Menendez for taking
gold bars, Inner City Press'
sources on September 21 it to
expect on Friday, September 22
an appearance in Federal court
in Manhattan by Menendez and
his wife Nadine Arslanian. This
scoop
was true.
Later a
superseder was unveiled,
including charges of bribes to
act for Qatar...
On April 11, 2024
after Nadine Menendez and then
the government asked for
delay, to July or undefined,
Judge Stein severed her case
and reaffirmed May 6, Inner
City Press thread
On Sunday night
April 14 the US wrote in again
asking for a delay to July,
six page letter on Patreon here.
But Judge Stein
told the parties to confer and
report by April 16 at 1 pm.
Then he set an April 17
conference, which Inner City
Press live tweeted and dubbed
"Berate-gate," thread
On May 13, jury
selection began - but did not
finish. Abit later, Menendez
got into an car with FOP NJ
plates.
On May 14 jury
selection continued but was
not yet completed, from the
ending, thread
Late on May 14,
the US Attorney's Office filed
opposition to slides the
defense wants to use in its
opening arguments, including
quotes from Colin Powell and
MLK, and when Nadine came into
possession of gold - full
letter on Patreon here
Inner City Press
live tweeted jury selection
and then opening arguments here,
then filmed Bob's exit (he
said he thought it went well
and that his guy did great).
On May 21, the US
Attorney's Office put on Wael
Hana's lawyer, then a US State
Department official working on
Congressional approval (or
holds) on arms transfer to
Egypt, thread here.
On May 23, with
the trial in haitus, docketed
was Menendez' lawyers
opposition to quashing his
subpoena for Jose Uribe's
attorney proffer and
communications with SDNY
prosecutors, filing on Patreon
here
On May 29, Inner
City Press live tweeted,
omitting Morton's steakhouse
but including this
On May 30,
Menendez's lawyer's (long)
cross, including this.
On May 31,
starting 1 pm, the agent was
cross examined, and then USDA
Ted McKinney on direct, thread
After the
trial day, Inner City Press
filed Menendez' walk to his
Jersey-plated car; asked why
he called McKinney he said,
Wait for the cross
[examination].
Nadine Menendez
hired a new lawyer, who
previously represented Sydney
Powell among others. Then
this: "ORDER as to Nadine
Menendez: At the request of
the defendant and with the
consent of the government
[Doc. No. 434], the status
conference is adjourned from
June 10 to June 12 at 5 :00
p.m.(Signed by Judge Sidney H.
Stein on 6/3/2024)."
On June 4 Judge
Stein dockted a partially
redacted Order in which he
denied Menendez's request that
the prosecutors give him
impeachment material about a
Confidential Human Source they
are not going to call as a
witness - but Menendez said he
will.
On June 5, Inner
City Press live tweeted - and
afterward asked Menendez a
question. Thread.
On June 6, after
more cross of Agent Graves,
Gurbir Grewal testified, thread:
Menendez' lawyer
Fee: In your work on this
chart, regarding Nadine's
former boyfriend Doug Anton-
Objection! Sustained. Fee:
After the accident, Nadine's
first call was not to Senator
Menendez, correct? Agent
Grade: It was not. Fee: Who is
Gurbir Grewel? A: NJ AG.
Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Did you see anything
about Senator Menendez called
AG Grewel about a
discriminatory prosecution-
Objection! Sustained! Fee: Did
you see why he called Grewel?
Agent: I did not. Fee: Did
Menendez contact judges? A: I
need to look at the
chart Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Did you see any messages
in which Nadine told Senator
Menendez about credit card
problems? Agent: I do not
recall
Judge: Meaning,
you have no idea. Agent:
Right. Fee: You agree in row
336 Hana asks Nadine for nail
salon address? A: Can't
say Menendez' lawyer
Fee: Here, Nadine tells
Senator Menendez that an Uber
is picking her up, not Mr.
Hana's driver. She was lying,
right? Judge: Sustained! Fee:
Did you see Nadine asking
Senator Menendez for financial
assistance? Agent: I didn't
see any specifics
Menendez' lawyer
Fee: I could take a break
here, Your Honor. Judge Stein:
How much longer do you have?
Fee: An hour. Judge: Keep
going. Fee: Do you remember
payments at JPMorgan Chase by
Nadine and why? A: I don't
know. Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Do you see here Nadine
telling Hana "my ex is not
paying me"? Agent: I see that.
Fee: Did you see Nadine trying
to get Hana to hire her ex
boyfriend Doug Anton? Agent: I
don't recall. Judge
Stein: We'll break.
OK- now former NJ
AG Gurbir Grewel, direct
examination AUSA Richenthal:
What did Senator Menendez ask
you to do? Grewel: I asked him
if it was about a pending
criminal matter. He said yes.
Judge: Was there any
discussion of how Hispanics
were treated? A: Yes
Grewel: I could tell you what
I took him to mean Judge: No,
just want he said. AUSA: Was
he complaining? Grewel:
Complaining. AUSA: How did he
respond when you said you
couldn't discuss it? Grewel:
Calmly, he moved to small
talk
AUSA: Did you
speak to the case prosecutors?
Grewel: Never. I wanted to
insulate them. I'm not going
to circumvent the process.
AUSA: What concern did you
have if people learned that
the senior senator raised a
case to you? Grewel: I didn't
want it to chill them
Judge: Move on. AUSA: No
further questions. Judge:
Cross examination. Menendez's
lawyer Avi Weitzman: You were
not a Federal employee at them
time, right? Grewel: I was
not.
Weitzman: Your
office did not get funding
from the US Senate, did it?
Grewel: Not directly
Menendez's lawyer: Your Office
had a duty to increase trust
between immigrant communities
and law enforcement, right?
Grewel: Yes. Menendez's
lawyer: Did Senator Menendez
use the phrase "selective
prosecution"? Grewel: I don't
remember him using that
phrase Menendez's
lawyer: You're a former
federal prosecutor - in 2
districts, right? Grewel: I
am... Judge: Let's break.
Cross examination
continues. Menendez's lawyer:
Do you recall telling the FBI
you were not afraid of
retribution from Senator
Menendez? Grewel: I was not
afraid of retribution. I just
didn't want to be on the bad
side of an ally of the
governor.
Menendez's
lawyer: Didn't Dick Codey
raise to you the case of Kevin
Bannon, the basketball coach?
Grewel: I told him I wouldn't
hear about that. Menendez's
lawyer: And he retaliated
against you? Grewel: A law
that I couldn't run for
governor. Menendez's
lawyer: Fair to say Dick Codey
didn't know your practice?
AUSA: Objection
to when he knew. Judge:
Sustained. Menendez's lawyer:
You are aware Senator Menendez
acted to protect LGTBQ youth?
Grewel: I don't remember
that Menendez's lawyer:
You reach out to Senator
Menendez about your SEC
position? Grewel: I reached
out to elected officials to
tell them I was moving Judge:
Why, if you were a state
official?
Grewel: I would
be moving to DC Menendez'
lawyer: No further
questions Re-direct AUSA
Richenthal: About Dick Codey,
do two wrongs make a right?
Objection! Sustained. Day over
More on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is US v.
Menendez, et al., 23-cr-490
(Stein)
More
on Substack here
***
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