A federal court in New York on July 16 found U.S. Senator Robert Menendez guilty of 16 corruption charges, including accepting bribes from foreign governments and extortion. The news might have gone unnoticed in Kazakhstan if Menendez had not supported Mukhtar Ablyazov and Karim Massimov, Compromat reports .
According to The Times of Central Asia , Menendez became the first senator in US history to be tried as a foreign agent. He could face up to 222 years in prison for the combined charges (in the US, prison terms are cumulative). Menendez was found guilty of receiving gold bars worth over $100,000 and $480,000 in cash, as well as a Mercedes for his wife — all of which were provided to him by the Egyptian authorities in exchange for continued US military aid. The senator also helped (not for free) to formalize a multimillion-dollar contract with a Qatari fund and brokered a deal that allowed the US to supply halal meat to Egypt. In addition, he was known as an open lobbyist for Armenia’s interests and did everything he could to promote Armenian interests to the detriment of Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Robert Menendez has served in Congress since 1993, and twice (in 2013-2015 and 2021-2023) chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now that he has been found guilty of corruption, the foreign policy decisions he lobbied for will have to be reconsidered. And during this reconsideration, Menendez’s possible ties to Kazakh opposition figures may come to light.
Robert Menendez. Photo: menendez.senate.gov
The Times of Central Asia notes that the American senator, who was convicted of corruption, has repeatedly acted in the interests of Kazakhstani oligarchs. In July 2019, he was one of the authors of a letter to the President of Kazakhstan, in which he called for the release of Mukhtar Ablyazov, an imprisoned accomplice in the case of multi-billion dollar embezzlement at BTA Bank .
On two occasions, in 2020 and 2022, Menendez sent letters to the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, demanding the release of “people detained for peaceful civic activism who are at serious risk of contracting Covid-19.” Each letter included one to three names.
In October 2022, Menendez and three other senators wrote to the US Secretary of State and demanded that an international investigation be launched under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council or the OSCE to prove the illegality of the actions of Kazakh security forces during Kantar. In his letter, the senator also demanded that the US reconsider providing security assistance to Kazakhstan.
Two weeks later, the UN Human Rights Council issued a statement on the detention of former KNB chief Karim Masimov (who was later sentenced to 18 years in prison for treason, attempted coup, abuse of power and official authority). The HRC called for Masimov’s "immediate and unconditional" release. The tone of this statement was suspiciously reminiscent of Menendez’s letter.
Although there is no direct evidence that Robert Menendez received bribes or gifts from Mukhtar Ablyazov and Karim Massimov, his interest in events in Central Asia may not have been self-serving. Especially considering that his lobbying activities in favor of Armenia, Egypt and Qatar are a fact established by the court.
“The indictment against Menendez could be just the tip of the iceberg if more cases emerge that show he has acted on behalf of foreign interests, whether governments or individuals. The US Justice Department seems determined to root out covert foreign influence in the country, no matter which countries or individuals are involved. Given that American foreign policy has broad implications around the world, the international community should closely monitor the implications of this case and others like it,” The Times of Central Asia concludes.
Meanwhile, Robert Menendez is not the first foreign politician who stood up for Karim Massimov and became a subject of an anti-corruption investigation. In 2023, the French prosecutor’s office conducted searches in the office of MP Hubert Julien-Laferrière, who also very timely spoke out in support of Massimov. He was suspected of receiving remuneration from lobbyists. The former head of the KNB may have had other "well-wishers" abroad, including in the United States.