In
Menendez Trial
Jocular
Jeweler Calls
Bob an
Honorary
Armenian Then
Jokes on Way
Out
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 25 – 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
On June 7, after
an FBI fingerprint expert,
cooperator Jose Uribe, Inner
City Press live tweeted, thread
On June 10, Uribe
finished his direct
examination around 4 pm, then
counsel for Hana, not yet
Menendez, began cross
examination, thread.
On June 11, Uribe
was cross examined - though
not on the "strip club issue"
after which out on Worth
Street Menendez decried
Uribe's crimes. Thread
On June 12, after
the end of Uribe (including
drunk driving and the "little
bell"), US Attorney of NJ
Sellinger took the stand, thread.
On June 13, trial
day - and next day - was
canceled by Daibes calling in
with COVID: thread.
And then, book:
GOLD BAR BAR Menendez Trial I,
on Amazon here.
On June 18, after
Daibes' COVID, things resumed
with Sellinger, followed by
Matt Soliman.
On June 20,
alongside an FBI agent summary
witness, a prosecution office
witness out of order, thread.
On June 24,
Menendez's staffer Sarah Arkin
took the stand, from the thread
On June 25, Sarah
Arkin finished up, including
about upcoming job at State
Department. Then, a currency
(and money laundering) expert
from the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York. From the thread
On June 26, there
testimony about currency, and
then a jocular Armenian
jeweler, from the thread:
OK - now in US v.
Menendez FBI Agent Fuchs to be
day's first government
witness, analyzes data and
email.
Before jury comes
in: Judge: Juror 15 told is
from the start they have to be
away June 27 to July 3. I
propose to excuse the juror at
the first break. No objection.
Jury entering! AUSA: Agent
Fuchs, how long did you work
on this case? Isabella Fuchs:
1 week AUSA: What did
you look at? Agent Fuchs:
Photos of the currency that
was seized, looking for the
serial numbers. Sometimes the
photos were too blurry. So I
would look at the cash itself.
AUSA: How much
was in 21-B? Fuchs: $21,000.
In cash. AUSA: How about
in this seized bag? Agent
Fuchs: $95,000. Cross
examination: Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: But what about this
$66,000? Fuchs: It's not on my
chart. Now in US v. Menendez,
a jewelry expert, Armenian.
Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Senator Menendez never
came to your jewelry store,
right? Witness: No
Fee: And he is
not Armenian, is he? Witness:
Some of the time. [Laughs] He
helps us. But he is
Cuban-American.
Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Armenians like to give
gold as gifts? Witness: Yes.
And Indians and Chinese. Fee:
Do you know why people give
gold gifts? AUSA: Objection.
Judge: Do you know why?
Witness: Can I answer?
Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Do people check the price
of gold? Witness: No, with the
Internet. Maybe it hurts our
business. They know too much.
Fee: For Mr. Hana and Mr.
Daibes, you got one kilo and
one ounce bars, and coins?
Witness: Yes. Nadine, just
bars.
Menendez's
lawyer Adam Fee: The bars, can
you tell them apart Witness:
They have serial numbers. But
from Nadine, I didn't check
the numbers. I just took them
blindly and sold them. Fee:
Nadine never told you she told
Sen Menendez?
A: She never
said Menendez's lawyer
Fee: Is it fair to say there
was nothing strange about an
Armenian New Jerseyite to come
in and sell family gold?
Judge: Sustained.
Witness: I didn't even
understand it. Judge: That's
why I sustained. Fee: You guys
work well together
(laughs) Witness: What
does it mean, sustained?
Judge: That you don't answer
the question. There is no
reason for you to understand
these legalisms. Witness: I am
just a jeweler. Judge: Hardly
[Laughter]
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: I'll just let this
play out Judge: Jurors,
we make some light comments
but this is a serious matter
and I know you'll treat it as
such. Proceed. Menendez's
lawyer Fee: Did Nadine haggled
on your commission?
Witness: No. I
made $320 a kilo. Judge: Let's
take a break. Thread will
continue AUSA reads in
stipulations, says more
tomorrow. Judge: We're done.
(Final?)
update for thread:
Still-Senator Menendez had not
comment on Inner City Press'
question (in Spanish) about
the 45 year sentence imposed
today on former Honduras
President Juan Orlando
Hernandez (who cited the SFRC
in his pre-sentencing
statement)
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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