Tinker Tailor Senator Spy

From: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook - Monday Oct 02,2023 10:57 am

Oct 02, 2023

Presented by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Good Monday morning!

There’s two interesting narratives emerging in the Bob Menendez case, and they center around the question of whether someone was duped, and by whom.

There are increasing reports of suspicions that Wael Hana, the owner of the Halal meat certification company that got an exclusive contract with Egypt, is some kind of Egyptian intelligence asset. That would fit into reports that federal authorities are examining the role of Egyptian intelligence, as well as some expert opinion on the matter. And so in that scenario, Hana, at least at first through Menendez’s wife Nadine, allegedly looked out for the Egyptian government’s interests. The reports are less clear on whether Nadine Menendez played any knowing alleged role.

This article in the New York Post paints Sen. Menendez as the duper who “used” and “manipulated” his new wife, whom one person quotes describes as a “sweetheart and a very caring mother who did everything she could for her kids, even though she barely had enough to get by.” (There’s some new information in that report, allegation that Menendez had Capitol Police pay a visit to his wife’s ex, and more gossipy bits.)

Any single narrative will almost never tell the full story. People are complicated, as are their relationships. It could be true that Nadine Menendez was a struggling single mother who was suddenly dazzled by a senator’s lifestyle and connections as well as a “honeytrap” for Egyptian intelligence — knowing or unknowing. Nevertheless, if even a small fraction of the indictment is true, being duped doesn’t excuse the behavior of anyone involved.

It will probably be a long time before we know more about the Egyptian intelligence angle, if we ever do. But it could be a hell of a future movie if a plot to ease restrictions on Egyptian arms sales started with an encounter at a Union City IHOP.

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “ In an effort to give Senator Menendez an opportunity to speak out on these troublesome accusations and in recognition of his five decades of service during which the Senator has consistently delivered for our residents, the Hudson County Democratic Organization has not commented on the indictment against him and has declined to either join calls for his resignation or offer support.” — Hudson County Democratic Chair Anthony Vainieri, announcing that the HCDO isn’t saying anything.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Michellene Davis, Lisa Fleisher, Paul Josephson.

WHERE’S MURPHY? Leaving for a DGA event in North Carolina and returning Tuesday.

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

WHAT TRENTON MADE

IT’S ONE, TWO, THREE SHOTS YOU’RE DEAD AT THE YOUNG BALL GAME — “Gun groups push for concealed carry at N.J. playgrounds, youth sports in new legal filing,” by NJ Advance Media’s S.P. Sullivan: “The law Murphy signed prohibited firearms from so many locations that even sponsors of the legislation struggled to list the places they’d be permitted. An initial court ruling threw out many of those restrictions, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit allowed enforcement through the emergency stay. Now the gun groups — seeing a rare opportunity to reshape Garden State gun culture in the federal courts — are trying to reclaim their right to carry at an array of public places, including playgrounds and youth sporting events, medical offices and public lands used for hunting and fishing. The district court correctly recognized the error of the state’s ways as to many of its sweeping new permitting and sensitive-places restrictions,’ lawyers for the coalition wrote in a Sept. 18 filing. ‘The court’s only mistake was in not going further.’ The gun groups also argue a new $200 permitting fee and a requirement an applicant submit statements from ‘four reputable persons’ attesting to their character are ‘patently unconstitutional.’ In a statement Thursday, Murphy said he was ‘furious’ about the push to expand concealed carry.”

—“Armed with abortion debate, Democrats grab more election ammo,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “Bringing this debate to 2023, it needs to be pointed out that previous generations did not have to deal with out-of-control behavior at youth games. As Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said in a statement: ‘In a world where volunteer umpires and nurses are being assaulted, it’s dangerous and extreme to force youth sports events, playgrounds, and hospitals to allow guns. We stand by the law we passed to keep children and families safe, and we will not stop fighting to keep our communities safe from gun violence.’ That’s not hyperbole. Just about any volunteer coach or umpire can tell you about unruly adults at youth games.”

TAKING THE HELMY — Helmy headed to RWJBarnabas as executive, by POLTICO’s Daniel Han: George Helmy, Gov. Phil Murphy’s longtime chief of staff, is joining RWJBarnabas Health as an executive overseeing government relations and advising on policy. “I can think of no more respected policy leader in our region than George Helmy, and we are incredibly pleased to have him join our team,” RWJBarnabas President and CEO Mark Manigan said in a statement. “His depth of knowledge on a wide variety of issues facing our state is unparalleled, and we recognize that his contributions to advancing our mission of service to our patients and community will be significant. Helmy’s official title is chief external affairs and policy officer, and he will be responsible for mainly managing regulatory issues and government relations, the health system said. He will also serve as a senior strategic adviser on policy matters.

—“Murphy’s ex-chief of staff made mistakes | Opinion”

THE WAR ON TERRA — TerrAscend fights New Jersey cannabis commission's hefty fine, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Cannabis giant TerrAscend is challenging a six-figure fine levied by New Jersey’s cannabis regulators. During its September meeting, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved a $100,000 fine against TerrAscend for five instances in which the multistate operator redirected medical patients to purchase from its recreational cannabis menu. … While CRC staff recommended a $5,000 penalty per violation — there were allegedly five — the commission decided to hit TerrAscend with the $100,000 penalty. Ziad Ghanem, president and CEO of TerrAscend, said in a statement to POLITICO that the company has a “deep history of compliance” in the state and is “free of any previous violations.” In prior statements, TerrAscend has said it made IT improvements and held employee training to ensure the incidents do not happen again.

—“NJ Transit’s birthday party crashed by engineers upset by stalled negotiations”

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

Biden's Beltway

BOB MCDONNELL PRECEDENT MEANS ONLY POLITICIANS NOT NAMED BOB CAN BE CONVICTED — Bob Menendez’s prosecutors are already grappling with some tough Supreme Court precedents, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden: For all the fireworks in the federal indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez — the gold bars, the shiny convertible, the stacks of cash — the case may ultimately hinge on something far less flashy: the Supreme Court’s increasingly narrow view of the nation’s anti-corruption laws. In recent years, a string of Supreme Court rulings has severely curtailed what counts as public corruption. Now, Menendez is hoping the court’s new legal landscape will help save him. … Menendez’s prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan are well aware that virtually any public-corruption prosecution faces an uphill climb. They appear to have crafted their indictment with an eye toward a key Supreme Court precedent, in which the high court threw out the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. And the office has first-hand experience with another important precedent dictated by the court: the overturned conviction of an aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo …

In the McDonnell ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that only “official acts,” or decisive government actions, such as introducing a piece of legislation or otherwise influencing policy, could be considered part of a corruption scheme. What Roberts described as routine political favors, such as arranging a meeting or making a phone call, could not. The issue for Menendez’s prosecutors is whether the conduct described in the indictment is legally considered “official acts” that he completed in exchange for bribes — or whether it’s more informal activity, similar to the services that elected representatives customarily provide to constituents or political allies outside official channels.”

—“MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez won’t cover senator father’s indictment”

SHUTDOWN TALK SHUT DOWN FOLLOWING SHOWDOWN — White House prepares to fight for Ukraine aid after shutdown averted, by POLITICO’s Jannifer Haberkorn, Jonathan Lemire and Sam Stein: With minutes to spare, President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill Saturday to avert a shutdown and keep the government open for 45 days. In doing so, he capped a chaotic 24 hours that riveted much of Washington but left one of the White House’s top priorities, aid for Ukraine, in serious jeopardy. Like others in the nation’s capital, the Biden White House had been caught off guard Saturday morning when Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly reversed course and announced that he would bring a clean, stop gap bill to fund the government through Nov. 17, 2023. But aides weren’t terribly surprised. They had assumed the government shutdown showdown would end this way at some point — with the main question being whether McCarthy would take his lumps before or after the funding deadline.

WHY DAVID BROOKS’ HAMBURGER WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE IN EGYPT — “Menendez co-Defendant’s curious path from bad deals to a meat monopoly,” by The New York Times’ Nicole Hong, Tracey Tully and William K. Rashbaum ”Just five years ago, Wael Hana was reeling from a string of bad business deals in New Jersey, having tried to launch a truck stop, an Italian restaurant, a limousine service and other companies without ever hitting it big. Then, his friend started dating Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, one of the most powerful Democrats in the United States Senate. Soon, Mr. Hana introduced Mr. Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to a growing circle of Egyptian officials, and Mr. Hana’s fortunes took a remarkable turn: He won sole control over certifying all halal food being imported into Egypt, earning enough money to bribe Mr. Menendez with gold bars and wads of cash, prosecutors said. Mr. Hana, Mr. Menendez and others are now facing charges in what prosecutors have described as a wide-ranging corruption scheme — one that threatens to put an end to the senator’s five decades in politics. But the allegations, if true, also raise a pressing question about Mr. Hana: Was he an agent of the Egyptian government all along, or just a lucky opportunist who stumbled into a position of international influence?”

— “Van Drew steps up interest in U.S.. Senate run"

—“Menendez says Senate Democrats need his vote”

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LOCAL

SILENT BUT POLITICALLY DEADLY — “Lengthy Vainieri statement on Menendez says nothing,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “One week after U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on federal bribery charges, Hudson County Democratic Chairman Anthony Vainieri, Jr. issued a 171-word statement that said absolutely nothing. A statement [that] neither voiced support for the embattled lawmaker nor called for his resignation has left some Democrats baffled as to why the Hudson Democrat weighed in at all. His comments came on Friday evening, days after some key Hudson Democrats sought to [get] him to step down after the election for reasons unrelated to the Menendez indictment. Several Hudson County Democrats, all speaking on the condition of anonymity, say that Vainieri could depart after the election; his term expires in June. … The New Jersey Globe has also confirmed that Vainieri faced unexpected pension challenges following his retirement as North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco’s chief of staff and county commissioner to be sworn into his town commissioner post — and that Vainieri has been lobbying some lawmakers for a special pension bill to remediate his issues.”

—“Defiant and confident in face of indictment, Menendez draws from Cuban, Union City roots”

—“Menendez skips Hispanic State Parade in Hudson County”

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

We at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are deeply disappointed with United Steel Workers 4-200's extreme action to strike. No one benefits from the strike, least of all our nurses. The union should consider the impact it is having on them and their families. Multiple attempts to prevent the strike were rejected, including accepting the union's demands and offering arbitration. RWJUH is already among the highest-staffed hospitals in the state, and our nurses are currently the highest-paid in New Jersey. Our top priority is our patients. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering the highest-quality care in the safest environment. We want to reassure our patients, their families, and our community that we continue to care without interruption. We remain fully open and continue to deliver the high-quality care they deserve.

BUSES — “NJ Transit to replace canceled bus routes in Hudson, Essex counties,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “NJ Transit has come to the rescue of riders who use seven A&C and Coach USA ONE Bus routes in Hudson and Essex counties when those private carriers discontinue those lines in October. The emergency stabilization plan includes creates six new NJ Transit bus routes and extends an existing NJ Transit bus route that will serve the same bus stops as the A&C and Coach bus lines. The plan guarantees riders will have uninterrupted access to the bus service, NJ Transit officials said.”

GET THE HELL ON THE BEACH — “Padlocked Jersey Shore beach reopened after Jenkinson’s relents, mayor says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rob Jennings: “Jenkinson’s Boardwalk has removed padlocks blocking public access to the sand and ocean at Point Pleasant Beach after a weeks-long standoff with state officials, according to the town’s Mayor Paul Kanitra. The reversal by Jenkinson’s came after the state Department of Environmental Protection conducted an inspection and warned the company that it was potentially in violation of its permit and the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act. … The DEP’s letter, dated Sept. 19, did not impose a penalty and stated that Jenkinson’s, a private company, would have an opportunity to ‘voluntarily take corrective actions.’’

EDUCATION — “A ‘damaging free-for-all’ predicted as districts reconsider policies protecting trans students,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “Five school districts have dropped their policies protecting the privacy and accommodations of transgender students, and four more have taken preliminary steps to do so — an action the state’s top law enforcement official said ‘creates a damaging free-for-all.’ The moves come as Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Sundeep Iyer, director of the state Division on Civil Rights, pursue lawsuits against four school districts that passed policies requiring school staff to notify parents when their children request name changes and other gender-related accommodations. One of those districts, Hanover Township, took the unusual step Tuesday of repealing its longstanding Policy 5756 on trans students, which approximately 500 of the state’s 600+ districts follow. It is based on guidance from the state Department of Education under a 2017 law Gov. Chris Christie signed and includes no requirement that schools notify parents of their children’s gender identity.”

—“Holmdel BOE passes first vote to repeal its transgender student policy”

—“'Secret' plan to privatize Wayne first aid squad arises as newest election issue”

—“Haledon municipal administrator to stay suspended as officials conduct internal probe”

—“On Paterson’s Broadway, 12 cops patrol four blocks to build trust and stop crime”

—“Nonprofit wants to join fight against 9 new cell towers along Jersey Shore”

—“Jersey City locals tells feds: do not let Sixth Street Embankment fall into the wrong hands”

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EVERYTHING ELSE

APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION — ”Driver arrested when SUV plows into home, New Jersey police station,” by ABC’s Bill Hutchinson: “A 34-year-old New Jersey man is in jail on terrorism charges after authorities alleged he deliberately drove his SUV into a home and a police station while blaring the Guns N' Roses' song ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ from his stereo. John G. Hargreaves was immediately taken into custody when his Toyota SUV came crashing through the lobby of the Independence Township Police Department. He exited the vehicle with his hands and index fingers raised as if celebrating a touchdown, police said. … Minutes before the police station crash, Hargreaves is alleged to have purposefully driven his vehicle through the garage door of a home in nearby Liberty Township, New Jersey, according to Pfeiffer.”

—“Rutgers plans $600M building upgrade in Newark. Next goal? Funding it”

—“N.J. sex offender accused by 6 women will serve no prison time. Was justice served?”

—“Joey Chestnut wins cheesesteak egg roll eating contest on Atlantic City Boardwalk”

—“Toys R Us comeback? Parent company announced it will open 24 brick-and-mortar stores”

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