Watch Former police officer helped Bob Menendez’s wife walk out of fatal car crash without sobriety test or handing over phone (Full Video)
A retired senior police officer aided the departure of Robert Menendez’s future wife from the scene of a deadly car crash in December 2018 without subjecting her to a sobriety test or requiring her to surrender her phone. Michael Mordaga, a former Hackensack police director and ex-chief of detectives for the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office, arrived at the scene shortly after Nadine Arslanian collided with Richard Koop. Despite her refusal to allow a phone search, there is no evidence of her inquiring about the victim or calling 911 until after the police had already arrived. Arslanian was dating Menendez at the time, and this incident is connected to bribery and corruption charges they both deny.
The accident occurred on December 12, 2018, and it subsequently became a significant part of the bribery and corruption allegations against Menendez and Arslanian. Authorities discovered a substantial amount of cash, gold bars, and other items when they searched their residence in June 2022. Arslanian’s involvement in Koop’s death only came to light through dashcam footage and recordings released by Bogota police.
The recordings also indicate that Arslanian wasn’t the first to call 911, and she initially agreed to let the police search her phone but later requested a lawyer. Mordaga, who arrived at the scene, seemed unfamiliar with Arslanian but claimed to be helping her at the request of a friend.
Mordaga has a history of controversy, including allegations related to a crime family member’s execution and accusations of mishandling a domestic violence incident involving two married police officers in 2015.