Egyptian Businessman Accused of Bribing Sen. Menendez to Influence U.S.-Egypt Relations
-
Wael Hana is an Egyptian American businessman accused of bribing Sen. Bob Menendez with money and gifts in exchange for the senator's help with U.S. relations with Egypt.
-
Hana had deep ties to the Egyptian government going back years before he met Menendez, including helping arrange a major shipment of U.S. military helicopters to Egypt in 2015.
-
In 2019, Egypt granted a lucrative monopoly to Hana's company to certify halal meat exports to Egypt, rankling the global beef industry and baffling diplomats.
-
Prosecutors allege Hana's company funneled bribes to the Menendezes. The case has shocked the diplomatic world.
-
U.S. authorities are investigating whether Hana has even deeper intelligence ties in Egypt as part of a counterintelligence probe.