Nadine Arslanian Menendez, the wife of Democrat Senator Bob Menedez, struck and killed a pedestrian with her Mercedes Benz five years ago. The victim’s family and friends have heavily criticized the lack of media coverage of the incident.
The Record and The New York Times, citing police reports and police dash cam video, were the first to report that Arslanian killed 49-year-old Richard Koop on a cold evening in December 2018.
He was killed almost instantly, his body badly mangled.
Arslanian had been dating Menendez (D-NJ) for 10 months prior to the incident.
She was cleared of any wrongdoing because the victim had been “jaywalking” when he was struck. She was allowed to leave the scene after a brief interview and was never given a field sobriety test or even questioned about drinking or drug use, according to The Record.
The New York Times questioned whether or not Menendez had “intervened” on his wife’s behalf, noting that officers appeared to know that she was his girlfriend. They also reported that a retired police officer came upon the scene as “a favor” to a friend whose wife knew the driver.
Incredible that Sen. Menendez’s girlfriend wasn’t given a blood alcohol testing after hitting a pedestrian with her car and killing him. It should be mandatory in fatal car accidents. And why did she refuse to give cops her phone? https://t.co/Ze8BbCYGx8
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) October 5, 2023
RELATED: Menendez Faces More Democratic Calls To Step Down
Menendez’ Wife Struck And Killed A Man With Her Mercedes – And Nobody Reported It Until Now
The only reason this tragic event came to light is because the accident involving the Mercedes was briefly mentioned in a DOJ indictment of Menendez, Arslanian, and three other co-defendants.
So distraught over the death of Koop was the senator’s wife that she was allegedly texting a wealthy Egyptian-American businessman a month later complaining about her lack of a vehicle.
Within months, according to the indictment, another businessman financed a new Mercedes for Arslanian in exchange for the senator’s attempts to interfere in a state criminal case against him.
🚨Bob Menendez’s wife Nadine Arslanian hit and killed a man while driving her Mercedes in 2018
She was found “not at fault” for the incident because the man was jaywalking. She was not given a DUI test at the scene and was immediately allowed to leave after providing a statement pic.twitter.com/D7bpnBWQBC
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 5, 2023
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Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty to the bribery-related charges.
They are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes in exchange for using his political influence. Menendez is now facing calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle to step down.
The couple allegedly received bribes including cash, gold, luxury vehicles and vacations, mortgage payments and other forms of compensation, according to prosecutors.
A search of the senator’s home yielded more than $480,000 in cash – some of it in envelopes stuffed into a jacket with his name on it – gold bars, and the Mercedes in question.
We’ve finally figured out why Gold Bar Bob Menendez is being taken out. The President of Turkey wanted to buy F-16s from us, but Gold Bar Bob put a hold on the jets. Now that Bob’s out, Turkey’s going on a shopping spree and is no longer going to keep holding up Sweden’s… pic.twitter.com/MMHv5PB5H3
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) October 3, 2023
RELATED: Interim House Speaker Promptly Evicts Pelosi From Her Office, Warns It Will Be ‘Re-Keyed’
Where Was The Media?
Aside from the seemingly preferential treatment having been granted to the wife of Senator Bob Menendez, the fact that this incident was not reported over the last five years is incredible.
One has to wonder if a Melania Trump or a Casey DeSantis would be able to escape scrutiny over an accident that killed a pedestrian – no sobriety tests, no leaked police reports, no media coverage.
The victim’s family and friends have been highly critical of all phases of the apparent cover-up – especially of the media.
Koop’s sister told the New York Times they heard very little from anybody after the accident, and suspected things were intentionally kept quiet.
“Definitely a lack of legal enthusiasm to take this case, definite lack of media coverage, and a lack of communication by the authorities of Bergen County,” she said. “We felt that the whole thing was very silently swept under the rug.”
Senator Robert Menendez, upon leaving court, began to answer why he was not going to resign amid the corruption trial.
The police had to drive journalists away from his car.
Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court in a corruption case, media reported.… pic.twitter.com/Jpwvu3TFwS
— Sprinter (@Sprinter99800) September 27, 2023
The wife of a friend of the victim also slammed the lack of coverage provided to the public about Koop’s death.
“I never got closure, to be honest with you. I googled and googled and googled, I was so obsessed with it,” she told The Record. “It was so unfair how he died.”
Menendez has long been wrapped up in controversies, having escaped corruption charges thanks to a hung jury in 2017.
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