One day after police records revealed New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's wife was involved in a deadly car crash in 2018, News 4 has learned state investigators are reviewing how local authorities handled the case at the time.
Investigators from New Jersey Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity & Accountability were at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday asking questions and seeking documents, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Questions asked Thursday related to the fatal December 2018 crash when Nadine Menendez, then Nadine Arslanian, was behind the wheel. The two sources familiar with the matter said the public integrity review is in its early stages and will include a look at how Bogota police handled the scene where Richard Koop, 49, died.
A spokesman for NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin declined to comment on the actions of his investigators Thursday.
What remains unclear, and what Koop's family wants to know, is how thorough the crime scene was handled by police; should investigators have done more to review Menendez's phone records earlier; should a breathalyzer or blood test have been requested even though Menendez had no apparent signs of impairment; and what role did a retired law enforcement official play after being called to the scene to assist Nadine Menendez and who made that call?
A lawyer for Koop's family said the questions are troubling. The family has been critical of Menendez, claiming she did nothing to help the father dying in the road.
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"She did nothing to come and render any aid. She moved her car out of the way but she never came, for the entire length of the video that I was given, she never came to look at him, didn't even she never check to see if he’s alive," attorney Sheri Breen said.
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Police said she was not at fault for the crash as Koop apparently jaywalked on his way home after a night of drinking with friends.
A lawyer for Nadine Menendez shared a statement with News 4 on Friday saying Menendez did not violate any laws in relation to the crash.
“This is a case of a tragic accident, but Nadine Menendez was not at fault, did not violate any laws, and was therefore not charged with any crimes," said attorney David Schertler. "The fact of the accident has nothing to do with the allegations in the current indictment against Ms. Menendez. We are confident that any 're-opening' of an investigation into the accident will confirm that conclusion.”
Sen. Menendez seemingly commented publicly on the crash for the first time Wednesday, calling the fatal incident "tragic."
The crash, nearly five years old, is apparently linked to the federal bribery charges against the senator and his wife. The FBI alleges the couple turned to New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe for help replacing the Mercedes damaged in the collision.
In exchange, feds said Menendez agreed to try to pressure the state attorney general's office on a past criminal investigation Uribe was concerned about. The couple and three businessmen charged in the sprawling bribery case have all pleaded not guilty and deny wrongdoing.
The FBI said businessman Fred Daibes gave gold bars and money to Sen. Menendez and, in exchange, he allegedly wanted the senator's help in pressuring the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's office to go easy on him regarding his separate bank fraud charges.
Daibes later took a plea deal with an expected sentence of no jail time, but that deal was thrown out by a judge in New Jersey on Thursday.
“The Court hereby rejects the plea agreement, ”Judge Susan Wigenton wrote in a filing.
“It seems likely the judge rejected the plea agreement after the Menendez charges came out because the new charges could make the plea deal not make a lot of sense any more,” said NBC Legal Analyst Danny Cevallos. He added information provided to Judge Wigenton in a pre-sentencing report about the bank fraud case may have been greatly affected by details contained in the new federal bribery case out of New York.
Lawyers for Daibes did not return requests for comment.
Federal prosecutors on Monday said some additional charges could soon be filed in the bribery case.
