By Matt Friedman

Presented by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Good Friday morning!

On Thursday, federal prosecutors issued a superseding indictment of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.

The new charge —  that Menendez acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Egypt — would’ve been shocking had we not learned most of the details involved when the indictment dropped last month. And it adds another lengthy potential prison sentence should he be convicted.

This is not a treason charge. That’s an incredibly rare thing that’s hard to try. But I think to the common observer, the name of the charge doesn’t matter. The senator, who’s supposed to represent New Jerseyans, is accused of acting in the interests of a foreign government. One allied with the U.S., but nevertheless run by an “increasingly authoritarian” regime.

One of the few new pieces of information in the superseding indictment is particularly of interest. It says that an unnamed Egyptian intelligence official, along with co-defendants Nadine Menendez and Wael Hana, met with Menendez at his office and discussed an American citizen injured in a 2015 Egyptian airstrike. Presumably April Corley.

“The incident leading to the citizen’s injuries and the perception of certain Members of Congress that the Government of Egypt was not willing to provide fair compensation to the injured citizen for the attack resulted in objections by some Members of Congress to the awarding of certain military aid to Egypt,” the indictment reads.

Menendez allegedly conducted a web search for the citizen's name but the indictment doesn’t say if he took any action. It does say that the official texted Hana in Arabic that if Menendez helps resolve the matter, “he will sit very comfortably.” Hana allegedly responded: “orders, consider it done.”

I’ll set aside for the comment the moral implications of allegedly representing a foreign regime’s interests when you’re elected to represent Americans. Menendez is, of course, innocent until proven guilty. But politics is a different matter. If you weren’t convinced that he has little shot of reelection by the Democratic primary polls that show him with single digit support, or New Jersey’s Democratic establishment abandoning him, then consider how his being an alleged foreign agent would play to voters.

Read more from POLITICO’s Erica Orden here. 

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at [email protected].

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There’s a bubbling demand for news out there at the local level,” Stile said. “There is a lot of anger and frustration about projects being canceled or being done, and people not getting news about it. They want it, and they want more from their newspapers than a list of the top 10 pizzerias.” — The Record’s Charles Stile at the Byrne-Kean Dinner, where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in New Jersey Journalism.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “As a former national security official who swore an oath to defend our Constitution, I cannot stand by as the Senator representing my family and my state has been accused of acting as a foreign agent. Given the severity of these charges, the US Senate should vote on expulsion.” — AndyKimNJ

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Anthony Abrantes, Vincent Kearney, Jason O’Donnell, Matt Platkin, Ry Rivard. Saturday for Sarah Adelman, Michael Zhadanovsky. Sunday for Eric Arpert, Rush Holt, Durwood Pinkett, Mary Kay Roberts.

WHERE’S MURPHY? Headed to Japan to start his Asia trip for ChooseNJ. Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way will be in charge until he returns on Oct. 22.

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

We at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are deeply disappointed with United Steel Workers 4-200's extreme action to strike. No one benefits from the strike, least of all our nurses. The union should consider the impact it is having on them and their families. Multiple attempts to prevent the strike were rejected, including accepting the union's demands and offering arbitration. RWJUH is already among the highest-staffed hospitals in the state, and our nurses are currently the highest-paid in New Jersey.

STATEMENT MADE UNDER DURRESS — South Jersey GOP candidates condemn Durr social media posts on abortion, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Battered by late campaign season attacks on abortion, several South Jersey Republican lawmakers and candidates are distancing themselves from past comments made by one of their colleagues, state Sen. Ed Durr. “The Social Media Posts by Senator Ed Durr were offensive and unacceptable. They don’t represent us or what we believe in any way,” reads a joint statement to POLITICO from the candidates in legislative districts 4 and 8. Prior to his shocking upset of then-Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) in 2021, Durr (R-Gloucester) — who himself is facing a competitive challenge by former Assemblymember John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) — made several inflammatory social media posts. Now a newly formed Democratic political organization is highlighting and tying them to the other candidates with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of TV ads in the region. The ad, by a nonprofit called Brighter Future Forward, says the candidates “would ban abortion and they stand by when their extreme colleague Ed Durr spews hate.” The ad then refers to a 2020 Facebook post Durr made in which he wrote “A woman does have a choice! Keep her legs closed,” as well as a post Durr “liked” that called for “spaying women like dogs.”

YOU KNOW THIS POLICY IS SERIOUS BECAUSE IT HAS A HASHTAG — “Fulop pledges to double affordable housing construction to address 'crisis', by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop says he would double New Jersey's affordable housing construction, revamp state tax credits and create an agency in charge of housing if elected governor. The Democratic candidate for the 2025 nomination unveiled those plans Thursday as part of his #FixNJ policy rollout. So far, Fulop has detailed his plans for transportation and intends to offer more policies on education, taxes, public safety and government reform in the months ahead. The housing plan aims to confront what the campaign calls one of the state's "most significant challenges." It’s a long-standing problem that does not get much attention in Trenton compared with issues like spending and taxes, but a shortage of housing — particularly affordable housing — reaches far and wide in high-cost New Jersey. "There clearly is a crisis, and it's related to lack of supply and production," Fulop said in an interview.

ROUGHLY THE COST OF MENENDEZ’S LEGAL DEFENSE — “Orsted puts up $100M guarantee that it will build New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm by 2025,” by The AP’s Wayne Parry: “The Danish wind energy company Orsted has put up a $100 million guarantee that it will build New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm. But it will lose that money if the project is not operating by Dec. 2025 — a year after the deadline approved by state utility regulators. New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities approved an agreement Wednesday with Orsted under which the company would forfeit the money if the project is not up and running within 12 months of a series of deadlines previously ordered by the board.”

THIS WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE CONFLICT — Murphy: Hamas must be ‘literally eliminated’, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday said Hamas — the militant group responsible for the worst terrorist attack Israel has seen in decades — must be “literally eliminated.” The governor's remarks come after more than 1,300 have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli officials, from Hamas’ attack that began last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to "eliminate" Hamas and Republicans have also used similar rhetoric referring to the group. Murphy echoed it. “They need to be eliminated — literally eliminated — not just their military or paramilitary capabilities,” Murphy said during a remote press conference Thursday evening. "They need to be eliminated and extracted from the otherwise innocent citizens in their midst.”

—“Tammy Murphy as the next U.S. senator from NJ? 'We'll see,' husband Phil says"

—“With NJ Transit facing $1B budget hole, advocates call for more funding in new statewide push” 

—“Dependent on public bus service, urban riders worry at possible NJ Transit cuts” 

—“NJ will spend $2.5M to help legal migrants get jobs, work permits. See who's eligible” 

—“National funds to boost New Jersey Democrats in three districts” 

—“N.J. corrections official at center of corruption probe demoted after DUI arrest” 

—“NJ Transit closer to building a dry place to park trains during floods” 

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

DID THEY GET THE CELL PHONE RECORDS?— "Prosecutors issued error-riddled report in Menendez car crash," by The New York Times' Tracey Tully and Nicholas Fandos: "Investigators from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office incorrectly described key elements of how the December 2018 crash in Bogota, N.J., took place. They bolstered the conclusion that she was not at fault, writing that the pedestrian, Richard Koop, stepped into a busy thoroughfare going south from behind a parked car, 'which may have obstructed his view, as well as that of the driver of the Mercedes-Benz.' ... But other records — including video of the collision, photos of the damage to Ms. Menendez’s Mercedes-Benz and an Uber receipt showing where Mr. Koop, 49, had been dropped off moments before he was struck — indicate that he was crossing the street northbound directly to his home and did not step out from behind a parked car ... Sheri A. Breen, a lawyer for Mr. Koop’s family, documented the discrepancies in a letter to the prosecutor’s office in March 2019. 'It appears to the family of Richard Koop that the Bogota PD is protecting the driver, a woman who has many high-profile friends,' she wrote at the time."

"The report does not address whether Ms. Menendez had been using her phone at the time of the crash. Bogota police reports indicated that authorities sought a subpoena to review the records, but neither the police nor the prosecutor’s office disclosed what they found. 'That leaves a huge hole in this,' said Brian Higgins, a former director of public safety in Bergen County who is now a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice."

CONGRESS CHAOS — by POLITICO's Mia McCarthy, reporting from D.C.: Rep. Jeff Van Drew had one thing to say walking into a closed GOP conference meeting Thursday: “Lock us in a room and keep us there until we get it done. The room did not stay locked. And the conference certainly did not get it done. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, after getting the majority of the GOP conference support, retracted his bid, unable to reach the 217 threshold. “I became a Republican because I believe in Republican values. I believe in American exceptionalism,” Van Drew said Thursday night. “And this is not an example of that.” The House stands paralyzed going into day 10 without a Speaker, after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by eight Republicans. Van Drew left Thursday night saying he would back Jordan and then the party should “move on” if he cannot reach 217.

Earlier in the day, Van Drew and Rep. Chris Smith told Playbook they were supporting Scalise before he dropped out. “We have to choose someone who can get consensus in the conference,” Van Drew said Thursday night. “We’re the majority party, we have to act like it. This is getting tiresome.” Rep. Tom Kean Jr. did not answer any questions when asked who he would support and his thoughts on Scalise dropping out. While it is unclear where he stands, the vulnerable Republican could face a tough decision on voting for Jordan, a Freedom Caucus member, or voting against the majority of his party. Smith said he spoke during the afternoon conference meeting in support of Scalise. He said he told members getting what you want takes time and that some of his bills took 10 years to be passed. “I argued very strongly about the consensus,” Smith said. “The next time anybody was getting everything we wanted will be the first.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH, RADIO PERSONALITY WHO RELENTLESSLY PROMOTED THIS GUY — “Trump Doral event with Eric Trump will feature a Hitler-promoting antisemite who killed someone,” by Media Matters’ Eric Hananoki: “Trump National Doral Miami is scheduled to host a ReAwaken America tour event featuring Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Trump lawyer Alina Habba, and antisemitic fitness influencer Ian Smith this week. Smith has recommended neo-Nazi and pro-Hitler propaganda, shared social media posts denying the Holocaust, suggested the ‘good guys’ didn’t win World War 2, and complained that Jewish people are behind 'all of these things that are used to control us' and that more people aren’t questioning why ‘everybody that’ President Joe Biden ‘surrounds himself with is Jewish.’ This is at least the fourth Hitler-promoting antisemite who has appeared on the ReAwaken tour with Eric Trump. Smith also spoke at a Trump Doral event in May that featured the former president’s son and other Trump allies. He met former President Donald Trump last year.”

—“Candidates jump into race for N.J. House seat suddenly opened by Rep. Kim seeking to replace Sen. Menendez"

—“Fetterman to Senate: Hit the eject button on Menendez – NOW” 

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

ONE FEWER PERSON IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING — “City hired convicted bribe-taker for ‘temporary’ job that paid $159k,” by The Jersey City Times’ Aaron Morrill: “A former Jersey City building inspector convicted of taking bribes was re-hired by the city as a temporary seasonal worker and earned $159,000 last year. According to sources, the Randolph Condi cited in a Jersey City Times article last month as one of several highly compensated temporary seasonal workers assigned to the business administrator’s office, is the same man convicted of taking bribes in his previous city job as a building inspector. In 2009, a federal judge sentenced Condi to 13 months in prison for attempting to extort cash from contractors in Jersey City. Condi admitted to accepting cash payments in exchange for expediting inspections and looking the other way when contractors failed to obtain necessary permits from the Jersey City Building Department. Condi also worked for the business administrator in 2021 earning $143,000.”

THE LYONS’ SHARE — “Retirement payouts for 3 cost taxpayers $2M in this N.J. school district,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates: “Hudson County Schools of Technology became a poster child for huge retirement payouts in New Jersey after its longtime superintendent received nearly $1.1 million as he walked out the door … But the vocational district’s generosity extends beyond [Frank] Gargiulo, documents obtained by NJ Advance Media through public records requests show. Overlapping his 40 months of paid leave, two other administrators at the vo-tech also collected hefty paychecks while not working as they readied to retire. The three cost taxpayers more than $2 million in a district where 42% of students are economically disadvantaged and qualify for subsidized meals. James Andriani, a supervisor of instructors, received more than $535,000 during the two years and 10 months he spent on paid leave before he retired in October 2022. Andriani, 64, now draws an annual pension of $109,500. Gerald Lyons, another supervisor, reeled in more than $450,000 while on paid leave for two years before his retirement in July 2021. Lyons, 64, has a $116,500-a-year pension.”

DISTRICT’S LAWYER EARNS MORE THAN 10X THE AVERAGE NJ TEACHER SALARY — “Lakewood can't hang on to its teachers. Officials say district needs financial lifeline,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Joe Strupp: “As Lakewood Schools wait for word on their latest state loan request — this one for $93 million — the continued money dance with Trenton is taking its toll on the district’s image and morale, according to students, parents and staff. Among those most affected by the fiscal uncertainties are teachers, who are leaving the district at a rate almost three times the state average, according to data. Administrators say the exodus is based, at least in part, on concerns over the district’s financial future and a need for instructors to feel secure in their jobs … Since 2019, more than 100 staffers have left the district each year. With about 500 on staff that means 20% are leaving annually, nearly triple the state average of 8%, according to a recent Department of Education report."

—L.A. Parker: “Vacant and decaying Trenton hotel brings to mind ghosts of Capital City’s past”

—“Asbury Park school board candidates want to know where the district money is going”

—“Meet the candidates for Highland Park mayor and where they stand on the issues” 

—“Hotly-debated 2nd power plant proposed for low-income [Woodbridge] area is withdrawn” 

Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of new episodes – click here.

MENENDEZ IS NOW THE MOST RADIOACTIVE THING IN NEW JERSEY — “Feds celebrate completion of WWII atomic bomb plant cleanup in Middlesex,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “Eight decades after it served a role in the development of the atomic bomb, a 9.6-acre lot on Mountain Avenue is the new home of the borough's Public Works facility. The federal government has formally signed the paperwork to transfer ownership of the land which once housed the formerly contaminated Middlesex Sampling Plant over to the municipality … The Middlesex Sampling Plant was built in 1943 as a uranium sampling and handling facility for the United States' atomic weapons program. Until 1967, the site was used to store, test and transfer ores containing uranium, thorium and beryllium.”

R.I.P. — “Family says New Jersey native killed in Israel died a hero” 

—“'We are dead bodies walking': Americans are stuck in Gaza without food, water and fuel” 

—“Business and cultural ties between NJ and Israel run deep. Here is how” 

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

We at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are deeply disappointed with United Steel Workers 4-200's extreme action to strike. No one benefits from the strike, least of all our nurses. The union should consider the impact it is having on them and their families. Multiple attempts to prevent the strike were rejected, including accepting the union's demands and offering arbitration. RWJUH is already among the highest-staffed hospitals in the state, and our nurses are currently the highest-paid in New Jersey. Our top priority is our patients. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering the highest-quality care in the safest environment. We want to reassure our patients, their families, and our community that we continue to care without interruption. We remain fully open and continue to deliver the high-quality care they deserve.

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