Prosecutors weigh charges against Senator Bob Menendez. Reports

The Justice Department is weighing possible charges against Sen. Bob Menendez after a yearslong public-corruption probe, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 25. 

Prosecutors are expected to meet with his lawyers in the coming weeks ahead of a final decision, the people familiar with the matter said. 

New Jersey's senior U.S. senator, a Democrat who serves as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez has been under scrutiny by the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York. The probe in part has examined whether he or his wife, Nadine Arslanian, received gifts in exchange for political favors, The Wall Street Journal has previously reported.

Prosecutors also have investigated the circumstances surrounding a lucrative contract that a New Jersey businessman secured with Egyptian officials for certifying halal meat exports, the Journal has reported. The businessman, whom Menendez hosted in his office along with Egyptian officials in 2018, became the sole certifier of halal meat exported from the U.S. to Egypt the following year.

Details about any potential criminal charges couldn't be learned. It also couldn't be determined whether other individuals under scrutiny, including Arslanian, are in jeopardy of being prosecuted.

Late-stage meetings with the Justice Department typically come after prosecutors believe they have developed the evidence they need to bring charges. The meetings give defense lawyers an opportunity to present reasons why the government shouldn't charge their client.

"As stated previously, the senator remains confident this matter will be successfully resolved," said a spokeswoman for Menendez.

Menendez said earlier this year that the investigation wouldn't...