Washington, D.C. is abuzz amid the recent criminal indictment of Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez (NJ) as well as the news that the embattled lawmaker has retained the services of high-powered defense attorney Abbe Lowell, who also currently represents beleaguered first son Hunter Biden in a case involving federal firearms charges, as the Daily Wire reports.
Notably, Menendez was also a client of Lowell's back in 2015, when he faced charges of unlawfully accepting gifts from a Florida eye doctor in exchange for a series of political favors, though that federal case was eventually dropped after the jury could not reach a verdict, as CNBC reported.
Experts have suggested that the government's case against Menendez this time around appears to be much stronger than it was in the prior matter, at least based on the indictment documents that were released on Friday.
Menendez and his second wife, Nadine, are alleged to have accepted valuable bribes from a trio of New Jersey businessmen in exchange for the senator's assistance with matters under his purview as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
According to the indictment, Bob and Nadine Menendez received enticements such as gold bars, cash, mortgage payments, a high-end vehicle, salary for a no-show job, and other items of value.
Among the most shocking allegations in the charging documents was the finding that the pair had almost $500,000 in cash hidden in various locations inside their home, money which was reportedly traceable to the aforementioned businessmen.
The stakes for the powerful lawmaker in his latest criminal case are quite high, as he now faces upwards of 45 years in prison if convictions are secured, and therefore it is no surprise that he has once again turned to the likes of Lowell to provide him with a vigorous legal defense.
As Fox News reported earlier this year, Lowell is extremely well-known in powerful Washington circles, having previously defended not just Menendez, but also former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as well as Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump.
Currently a partner in the firm of Winston & Strawn, Lowell has also provided legal counsel to Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, musician Sean Combs, and Hollywood star Steven Seagal.
Lowell's legal career started with a stint at the Justice Department in the late 70s and early 80s, and he was later appointed as special counselor to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, working on prosecutions related to human rights violations in the former Yugoslavia as well as in Rwanda.
Notably, Lowell also served as chief minority counsel to House Democrats during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1998, a role for which he gained greater public exposure and a heightened degree of name recognition.
A source within the D.C. legal community who spoke to Fox News Digital back in February said of Lowell, “Abbe is not cheap, and you don't bring in Abbe unless you want to go to war or prevent one.”
The individual added, “Abbe is one of the best attorneys on Planet Earth...[y]ou couldn't find someone who can navigate Congress and the DOJ space better than him.”
Given the very damning evidence reportedly already arrayed against Menendez and the senator's self-declared expectation of exoneration, the senator is going to need every ounce of expertise he can get.
