Federal prosecutors are investigating Senator Bob. Ms. von Menendez: report

Manhattan prosecutors are investigating whether Nadine Arslanian, wife of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), received gifts or services from people seeking favors from her husband, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Arslanian’s staff were subpoenaed into the investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York — and asked for information about both Arslanian and Menendez, according to the outlet.

The investigation is separate from a 2015 probe that led to bribery and corruption allegations against 68-year-old Menendez and ended in a court case two years later.

The current investigation dates back to at least 2019, according to the Journal, when federal investigators issued search warrants against New Jersey businessman Wael Hana, who runs the only company allowed to certify meat exports to Egypt as halal and is an Arslanian employee.

Court documents reportedly indicate that prosecutors are investigating possible undisclosed foreign lobbying. Hana’s attorney told the Journal that his client obtained his halal certification contract with Egypt “without any assistance from a US official.”

According to the report, New Jersey attorney Antranig Aslanian has also been subpoenaed into the investigation. Aslanian is reportedly a longtime friend of Nadine Arslanian and both are Armenian.

Aslanian told the Journal that he didn’t know what prosecutors were looking for.

In Menendez’s 2015 trial, prosecutors alleged that he received nearly $1 million in private jet flights, vacations, and other gifts from eye doctor Dr. Salomon Melgen of Florida in exchange for obtaining visas for the doctor’s foreign girlfriends.

Investigators also claimed Menendez received hefty political donations in exchange for helping Melgen land lucrative government contracts.

Last month, an adviser to Menendez, Michael Soliman, told The Post that the senator was “aware of an investigation” but “didn’t know the scope.”

“As always, for official inquiries, the senator is available to provide any assistance requested by him or his office,” Soliman said.

Menendez, a senior senator from New Jersey, has served as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 2006.

Menendez’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Journal’s report.