NBC News reports that a federal grand jury has issued new subpoenas in a criminal corruption investigation involving a prominent Democratic senator.

The investigation into New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has now expanded to include North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, another influential New Jersey politician, according to the source.

A spokesperson for North Bergen told NBC News: “As they always have, Mayor Sacco and the Township of North Bergen will comply with any inquiry they receive from law enforcement and will cooperate fully.”

Menendez has been investigated for several months on suspicion of improperly accepting cash and gifts from the proprietors of IS EG Halal, an Edgewater halal meat business. Menendez and the company’s proprietors have denied all allegations of wrongdoing, however.

“I know of an investigation. Don’t know the scope or the subjects and, of course, stand ready to help authorities when and if they ask any questions,” Menendez said back in October, according to NBC News.

According to the sources, the recently issued subpoenas, including the one directed at Sacco, are unrelated to any allegations involving the meat company.

NBC News added that the subpoenas seek new information about specific legislative changes in New Jersey, but they are still part of the overall investigation targeting Menendez.

One of those who received a subpoena is the Democratic Mayor of North Bergen, Nicholas Sacco.

Here’s @jonathan4ny previous reporting on the Mayor: https://t.co/tP5SqWIhqW

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) May 12, 2023

The subpoena for Sacco was issued on Wednesday, a day after he was reelected mayor, according to the news source.

“On Wednesday morning Mayor Sacco was issued a subpoena seeking information and records regarding several different matters that he was informed are being sought in connection to an ongoing investigation that is not related to him,” said a mayoral spokesman in a statement issued Friday.

“Mayor Sacco has been assured that he is not a target of the investigation and was approached only as a potential witness, and he intends to cooperate fully and provide any requested information as he would with any law enforcement inquiry,” the spokesman noted further.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, who is supervising the federal investigation, both declined to comment.

Concerning Menendez and IS EG Halal, there are lingering concerns regarding how the company obtained an exclusive worldwide contract with Egypt for certifying halal exports, especially given that contracts of several other firms were abruptly terminated in 2019, according to NBC News.

According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, certain officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture expressed concerns about the contract awarded to an inexperienced New Jersey company.

The publication also notes:

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

In addition, numerous sources said Menendez’s wife is friends with IS EG’s owners. Menendez chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt. Lawyers for IS EG have denied any wrongdoing, and the owners have said they won the contract with Egypt on the merits. Other firms in the industry, however, have been raising questions. CONTINUE READING…