In Sen
Menendez Case
He Opposes
Disclosing
FARA Defenses
Weeks Before
May 6 Trial
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 2 – 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 January 10
Menendez filed a motion to
dismiss, arguing "the
government shockingly fails to
disclose the exculpatory fact
that [REDACTED]." Full filing
on Patreon here
Late on January
10, docketed on January 11,
Inner City Press filed to
unseal Menendez' redactions -
and documents "in the vault."
On January 17,
after the NYT also requested
(and cited Inner City Press),
Judge Stein ordered the
parties - including DOJ - to
respond by January 22.
On February 1,
Judge Stein granted some
unsealing - including of some
of the material in the vault
which Inner City Press
requested. Order here.
On March 6, after
a guilty plea and then a
superseding indictment was
filed, counsel for Wael Hana
wrote in. Letter on Patreon here.
On March 11,
Inner City Press live tweeted
the arraignment, and Judge
Stein's ruling that the May 6
trial data holds, unless the
2d Circuit stays it on an
interlocutory appeal. Thread here
On March 21,
Nadine Menendez was before
Judge Stein for a Curcio
hearing, thread
On March 28 -
after announcing he will not
run in the Democratic primary
for "his" NJ Senate seat but
might as an independent,
Menendez through counsel
informed that he will not file
an interlocutory appeal.
On April 1, the
US Attorney's Office asked
Judge Stein to order Menendez
to provide notice by April 4
of any affirmative defenses
under FARA. Judge Stein
ordered a response by April 2.
And on April 2,
Menendez's counsel wrote in
"The government wants Senator
Menendez to disclose – over a
month before trial – details
of how he intends to contest
the government’s proof that he
acted as “foreign agent”
required to register under
FARA. No court, anywhere, has
ever granted that relief, let
alone granted such significant
relief on the rushed timeline
the government demands here.
This Court should not be
first. The government’s motion
should be denied for several
reasons" - letter on Patreon here
More details on X
for Subscribers here
and Substack here
***
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