In
Menendez Trial
Sellinger
Admits Sought
Ambassador
Post as Soliman
Used Signal
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 18 – 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, thread:
All rise! Judge:
Cross examination will
continue.
Menendez'
lawyer Weitzman: Mr.
Sellinger, did Senator
Menendez raise Jamel Semper,
asking if you would make him
your deputy, after requests
from African American pastors?
Sellinger: Of that, I'm not
sure
Menendez lawyer Weitzman:
Do you remember seeing press
urging the promotion of Semper
to US Attorney? Assistant US
Attorney: Objection! Judge:
Sustained. Weitzman:
Let me refresh your
recollection...Do you see
this, and remember? AUSA:
Objection! Judge: You may
answer Sellinger: I
remember, but not the time
frame. Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
Do you know that Senator
Menendez was under political
pressure to name a diverse US
Attorney? AUSA: Objection!
Judge: Sustained as to
political pressure.
Weitzman:
Did he raise Fred Dabies? A:
Yes. [Daibes] Menendez's
lawyer Fee: Do you agree the
US Attorney's Office should be
above partisan politics?
Sellinger: Yes. Weitzman:
You had discussions about how
improper it would be to
weaponize DOJ - Judge:
Sustained!
Weitzman:
Did you discuss? Sellinger:
Not that I recall
Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
Did you regard what Senator
Menendez was asking for as
being anything more than your
official duty? Sellinger: No.
In fact I don't think he was
asking me for anything. Weitzman:
He didn't use aggressive
language? Sellinger: He did
not. Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
This was the only time Senator
Menendez mentioned Mr. Daibes
to you during the vetting
process? Sellinger: Yes.
Weitzman:
Did Senator Menendez tell you
he had raised Daibes to the
Trump-appointee US Attorney
Craig Carpenito? Sellinger: He
did
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman:
Did the Senator tell you that
Carpenito said the decision
wasn't his but that of his
first deputy Rachel Honig?
Sellinger: He did.
Weitzman:
Did Senator Menendez help you
set up a meeting with Cory
Booker? Sellinger: Yes... It
went well.
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman:
Did Senator Menendez tell you
the Biden White House wouldn't
accept you as US Attorney,
that there was a White House
memo about diverse candidates,
by [White House counsel] Dana
Remus? Let me show you the
memo.
Judge: Make it
larger, counsel
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: Dana Remus says,
"President-elect Biden is
eager to appoint those who
look like America. Propose
talented individuals... race,
origin," etc
Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
After Esther Suarez received
the nomination, you continued
to lobby for the position?
Sellinger: No. Only after I
learned the Suarez nomination
was encountering significant
roadblocks. I said, I'd be
interested Menendez's
lawyer Weitzman: Did Senator
Menendez recommend you for
Ambassadorships? Sellinger: I
think so. Weitzman: Have you
seen this letter? [March 2021]
Judge: Did you
recommend you for any
particular ambassadorship?
Sellinger: Not in this
letter Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: Do you remember
negative press about Esther
Suarez? Sellinger: I do.
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: Did Mike Soliman
call you, 9 days after Senator
Menendez called you on April
20? Sellinger: I see those
Weitzman: Did you mention you
might be subject to recusal in
Daibes and other matters,
including political
corruption? A: 4 matters
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: And another matter
involved a health care
company- AUSA: Objection. May
I confer with Mr. Weitzman?
[Does. Then:] Weitzman: We
don't need to get into the
details. But to Mike Soliman,
you didn't mention which
matter? Sellinger: I did
Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
Did you know that Senator
Menendez went to the World
Economic Forum in Davos?
Judge: Sustained. Let's move
on.
[Next: Daibes'
lawyer Cesar de Castro]
Daibes' lawyer: You knew who
Esther Suarez was? Sellinger:
Yes. Daibes' lawyer: She
had been a judge and a state
prosecutor, right? Sellinger:
I had not met her at that
time. Daibes' lawyer: You
received a call from Mr.
Daibes' lawyer at that time?
Sellinger: I did. I maintain
an open door policy
Judge: Re-direct? AUSA: Very
briefly. How many cases did
Senator Menendez mention to
you? Sellinger: Only one.
AUSA: Nothing further. Judge:
Break.
OK - now
AUSA Richenthal questioning
Matt Soliman AUSA Richenthal:
Did you use Signal?
Soliman: That or
a regular phone call. AUSA
Richenthal: What was Mr.
Menendez' demeanor? Soliman:
Inquisitive. AUSA: Did you
call Mr. Sellinger as Mr.
Menendez asked you to?
No AUSA: Did this come
up again? Soliman: Yes, I set
up a lunch with Mr. Sellinger.
I let Senator Menendez know.
AUSA: What did Mr. Menendez
say about the Daibes matter?
Soliman: That he wanted me to
raise it, that Mr. Daibes
should get all due
process.
AUSA: What was
Senator Menendez's tone? Soliman:
Frustrated. AUSA: With you or
the US Attorney's Office? Soliman:
The latter AUSA: Did the lunch
occur? Soliman: Yes. AUSA:
What did Mr. Sellinger say?
Soliman: He said, if you bring
up a case I have to tell
DOJ
Cross-examination.
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: Senator Menendez
sings Happy Birthday to you?
Soliman: He does. Weitzman: He
invited you to his wedding?
Soliman: He did.
Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
Was there a hack? A: Yes. Then
we used Signal. Weitzman: Was
there a Democratic caucus
Signal chain? A: People used
Signal.
Weitzman: In NJ,
did the senior senator propose
a US Attorney and junior get a
veto, even under Lautenberg?
Yes Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: If Trump had won the
[2020] election, there'd be no
reason for Senator Menendez to
vet candidates for US
Attorney, right? Soliman:
Right. Weitzman: Did Senator
Menendez consider Mr.
Sellinger as a Federal judge?
Soliman: He mentioned it
Menendez's lawyer
Weitzman: Did Senator
Menendez, after Joe Biden won
the election, consider for the
US Attorney position Dan
Goldman, now Congressman Dan
Goldman, like Lee Vartan? Soliman:
I don't know. Weitzman: The
Joe Biden WH wanted diverse
candidates? Yes
Finally,
re-direct AUSA Richenthal:
What's the date on the White
House memo? Soliman: Dec 22,
2020. AUSA: You heard from Mr.
Turner about a falling out
between Mr. Menendez and Mr.
Sellinger - did he refer to
this memo? Soliman: No.
AUSA Richenthal:
What was the only case Mr.
Menendez asked you to talk to
a prosecutor about? Soliman:
The Daibes case. AUSA: No
further questions. Judge: You
are excused. Now after
Menendez leaving the
courthouse said Sellinger said
he wasn't asked anything
improper, and he wasn't,
lawyers' arguments about Qatar
bribe scheme. Menendez's
lawyer
Weitzman:
Heritage is separate from the
Qatar government Judge: That's
hard to argue. Judge:
They are Qatari royals.
Menendez's lawyer Weitzman:
Sheikh Thani is independent,
he doesn't take one dollar or
whatever their currency is in
Qatar. Judge: You are
overstating the 302s. If there
is a conviction he'll be able
to appeal all this.
Judge: I'm
allowing the exhibits. They
are not for the truth,
though... We're already a
couple of weeks past what I
asked the juror about
conflicts on... You're saying
we'll end at the end of the
week of July 8, who knows on
which side they'll take their
ire out AUSA: We still
don't know who the defense
witnesses are.
Weitzman: They
have 18 on their list, we
don't know which ones they're
calling. They are not going to
finish by the 25th. AUSA: We
anticipate dropping some
witnesses.
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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