Just when you think you’ve grasped how corrupt and slimy the people in power are, they surprise you with fascinating tales of monopolizing halal meat markets and bribing judges and foreign governments! New Jersey senator Bob Menendez was charged yesterday with secretly aiding the dictatorial government of Egypt and trying to avoid the criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars, and cash he had on hand. This man is a real-life Tony Soprano meets Paul Blart bumbling fool of a senator.
Menendez was indicted (obligatory reference) yesterday and both he and his wife are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash, gold bars and a luxury car in exchange for a range of favors. These favors include, but are not limited to, surreptitiously aiding the government of Egypt on US policy matters and interfering in three (3) criminal investigations. Prosecutors unsealed the corruption indictment accusing Menendez of using his privileged position as chairman of the senate foreign relations committee for personal gain. Heavy charges for a haplessly corrupt idiot of a public servant.
The indictment, which it’s worth mentioning is the second in eight years against the 69-year-old democrat, alleges an illegal commingling of Menendez’s professional obligations to promote American priorities and his private interests in cultivating relationships with rich businessmen. This guy is as guilty of whatever they’re accusing him of as I am guilty of having a Snickers bar for lunch yesterday.
One of the more amusing pieces of evidence in this open-and-shut case is the fact that Menendez apparently texted his equally-complicit wife saying, "I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today. Egypt: 46,000 120MM Target Practice Rounds and 10,000 Rounds Tank Ammunition: $99 million" (that’s right folks, he’s signing off on $99 MILLION worth of weapons). His wife then forwards this message to an Egyptian official who replies with a thumbs up emoji. American foreign policy my friends, truly fun stuff!
Side Items
Auto Strike Growing: The UAW strike is getting bigger every week! One week into the union’s historic work stoppage, the UAW walked out of dozens more factories across 20 states yesterday. The union’s targeted strikes against General Motors, Stellantis and Ford began with around 13,000 workers walking out of three assembly plants, and union leadership warning that more locations could be impacted if there wasn’t significant progress in contract negotiations. Bargaining continued this week, but neither side reported any breakthroughs, and yesterday the UAW announced it would be walking out of 38 more General Motors and Stellantis parts distribution centers. Another 5,600 workers joined the strike, meaning that about 13% of the union’s 146,000 members are now on the picket lines. This could still just be the beginning
UAW & Find Out: A brawl broke out after a man (presumably the man in the highlighter yellow shirt in the video) drove by striking United Auto Workers members and shouted racial slurs and insults at them. Based on the footage, not the brightest idea folks