"Foreign Spy Service's Influence on Senator's Indictments and Potential Expulsion"
Senator Robert Menendez and his wife have been indicted on charges of conspiring to act as agents of the Egyptian government, shedding light on the influence wielded by Egypt's powerful intelligence agency in Washington. The couple allegedly advanced Egyptian interests by attempting to prevent cuts to aid, providing internal information about the US Embassy in Cairo, and pushing the US secretary of state to block a dam project on the Nile River. In return, they received bribes in the form of gold bars, cash, and other payments. The involvement of top Egyptian spies, including Gen. Ahmed Helmy and Gen. Abbas Kamel, suggests that the information-sharing and bribery may be part of an espionage operation centered on Menendez. Egypt's General Intelligence Service, along with the military, has become a major economic player in the country and exercises significant control over foreign policy and domestic affairs.