A criminal investigation into a powerful Democratic senator now involves a mayor.
North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco was subpoenaed in connection with the investigation into Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey this week, NBC News reported.
Both Sacco and Menendez are Democrats.
Menendez is the subject of a federal investigation seeking to determine if he improperly accepted cash and gifts from a New Jersey halal meat company, according to NBC.
In a statement, Sacco’s office acknowledged receiving the subpoena, which was issued Wednesday, a day after he was re-elected as mayor.
“As they always have, Mayor Sacco and the Township of North Bergen will comply with any inquiry they receive from law enforcement and will cooperate fully,” a town spokesman acknowledged.
“Mayor Sacco has been assured that he is not a target of the investigation and was approached only as a potential witness, and he intends to cooperate fully and provide any requested information as he would with any law enforcement inquiry.”
Menendez disclosed his knowledge of the investigation in October, according to NBC.
The meat company in question, IS EG Halal, won an international contract with the Egyptian government to certify American halal exports.
The manner in which the company secured the lucrative deal was enough to arouse suspicion in Menendez from federal prosecutors.
Attorneys for IS EG Halal deny any wrongdoing, NBC reported.
This isn’t the first time Menendez has had a run-in with the law.
The 30-year veteran of Congress was acquitted of corruption charges in a 2018 trial, with the Justice Department declining to retry him on 11 counts that a federal jury declined to rule on, according to Politico.
Menendez is among the most powerful and experienced senators in the Democratic caucus.
The career politician sits as the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, a highly sought position that provides him authority over many of the Senate’s foreign policy dealings.
The committee is charged with overseeing the use of billions of dollars of U.S foreign aid in countries such as Egypt.
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