Senator Robert Menendez Held Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars and Gold Ingots at Home for 'Emergency Situations'

American Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who was charged with corruption last week, stated that the money discovered at his home was previously withdrawn from his own savings account. “For 30 years, I have cashed thousands of dollars from my personal savings account and kept that money for emergencies,” Menendez said. “Yes, it does sound old-fashioned now, but this was money taken from my personal savings account. It is about my income, which I have lawfully earned over 30 years,” he added.

In June 2022, during searches at the senator's home, federal agents seized over $480,000 in cash, which was packaged in envelopes and hidden in clothing and closets. Additionally, gold ingots were found in his possession.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Menendez and his wife with corruption and using their influence to provide secret assistance to Egypt. They are set to appear in court on September 27. The indictment states that Menendez and his wife received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from businessmen to act on behalf of the Egyptian government and to utilize his official position.