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In a stunning development, federal prosecutors have unveiled new allegations against U.S. Senator Robert Menendez in the ongoing bribery case. The investigators assert that the gold bars seized during a raid on Menendez's residence were given to him in exchange for wielding his power and influence on the government of Qatar. The superseding indictment, filed on Tuesday, claims that New Jersey developer Fred Daibes provided Menendez with cash and gold bars, aiming to persuade the Qatari Investment Company to invest in one of Daibes' real estate projects.

New Allegations in Menendez Bribery Case : Judge Denies Trial Delay Request

This revelation comes hot on the heels of a denied request by Menendez to postpone the trial scheduled for May 6. The senator, also facing charges of conspiring to act as an agent of Egypt, sought more time to evaluate what he claimed was an overwhelming amount of evidence. However, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein rejected the bid, stating that no significant changes had occurred since the October hearing.

"The fact that discovery has been voluminous is consistent with the parties' stated expectations on October 2 and does not justify a two-month adjournment of the schedule," Judge Stein wrote in a decisive two-page order.

Discovery Volume Discrepancy

Judge Stein also addressed a discrepancy in the volume of discovery material, clarifying that the defense team had not received the reported 735 terabytes of data but only three terabytes. Despite being a substantial amount, it was far less than what Menendez's legal team had initially believed.

Menendez's Request Denied

Menendez's request for a trial delay also included his co-defendants: his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and businesspeople Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, and Jose Uribe. The denial means the trial will proceed on the originally scheduled date, leaving Menendez with limited time as he nears the end of his Senate term.

New Allegations in Menendez Bribery Case : Unprecedented Foreign-Agent Charge

Menendez's attorneys, Adam Fee and Avi Weitzman of Paul Hastings LLP, argued that the case included an unprecedented foreign-agent charge against a sitting senator. They emphasized the government's lack of previous prosecutions based on the relevant statute.

Allegations Against Menendez and Co-Defendants

The Menendezes, along with Hana, are accused of accepting bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz, from Daibes and Uribe. The alleged exchange involved steering billions of dollars in military aid to Egypt and attempting to intervene in criminal cases related to Daibes and Uribe's associates. Additionally, the group faces charges of conspiring to have Menendez act as an unregistered foreign agent for the Egyptian government during his tenure as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Background: Previous Bribery Case

This isn't the first time Menendez has faced bribery charges. A previous case linked him to a Florida eye doctor, resulting in a mistrial in 2017.

Representatives of the government and counsel for Menendez declined to comment on the judge's order at the time of reporting.