Rob Menendez, a prominent US senator, and his wife Nadine Menendez were charged with corruption around the end of September this year. Menendez chaired the Foreign Relations committee.
The indictment claims that Menendez and his wife were given gifts, cash, gold, fancy cars, and other bribes.
A lengthy story about how Menendez was recruited by intelligence from a Middle Eastern nation and received gifts and cash through his wife, mostly in the form of gold bars, was published in the New York Times.
Federal prosecutors in New York issued an indictment against the senator and his wife in October of this year, alleging that they operated as agents of a foreign power between 2018 and 2022.
Prominent American real estate developer Fred Daibes was charged concurrently with bribing Menendez in return for assistance with a bank fraud case. The Manhattan Federal Prosecutor’s Office reports that during a search of Senator Menendez’s residence, envelopes including cash bearing Mr. Daibes’ fingerprints and nine gold bars bearing serial numbers were found.
Numerous books and articles have been published in the US explaining how other less developed nations, particularly those who are the US’s opponents, are solely to blame for corruption because they lack the necessary dedication to democracy, the rule of law, and all those other wonderful and beautiful qualities.
Though he no longer serves as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez is still the senator with the same portfolio. Menendez is the highest-ranking official in the American hierarchy to be exposed for bribery, but he is by no means the only bribe-taker in the system; in fact, this is his second indictment for bribery.
Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court is another “hero” in the tale of dishonest American bureaucrats. His leisure activities, which included at least 38 vacations, 26 private jet flights, eight helicopter flights, and numerous excursions to upscale resorts, sporting events, etc., were reportedly funded by interested American affluent individuals, according to a study by the charity Pro Publica in New York.
Naturally, in responding, the judge sought to make the necessary rulings.
It goes without saying that the American public and, more importantly, regular Americans, are aware of these controversies. A while ago, the automobile workers’ union went on a series of strikes demanding higher wages. Union members mentioned these scandals as well as the fact that executives are paid 250 times more than ordinary workers, with bonuses for some exceeding several hundred million dollars each year.
The American press is now debating the specifics of current President Joe Biden’s receipt of unlawful donations while serving as Vice President. These details form the basis of the impeachment case that is currently being discussed.
According to a recent poll, 35 percent of American adults think that the president committed a crime, along with his son Hunter Biden. An additional 33 percent claim that the president has acted unethically. The poll, which was done by the Center for Public Affairs Research at NORC and the Associated Press, shows a great deal of mistrust regarding the morality of public officials in addition to a significant political split.
The results show that cynicism, suspicion, and party differences characterize the US political system: over two thirds of Republicans feel that Joe Biden is guilty of crimes involving his son, while just 8% of Democrats and 38% of independents share this view.
Some respondents claimed that corruption and greed afflict the political elite as a whole. These polls reveal, according to Al Ahram newspaper, a deeper sense of rot within the federal government.
The Al Jazeera website recently pointed out that all of these occurrences fit the pattern of American capitalism, which is predicated on upholding despotism among the elite under the pretense of democracy. Put otherwise, it’s as rotten a system as they come.
Vladimir Mashin, Ph.D. in History, a political commentator, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.