Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was discovered responsible on all counts Monday after being tried on expenses of accepting bribes, together with money and gold bars, to profit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Legal professional for the Southern District of New York whose workplace prosecuted the case, hailed the decision, saying Menendez’s “years of promoting his workplace to the upper bidder have lastly come to an finish.”
Menendez had his arms crossed and his chin resting on his arms as a number of the verdict was learn and didn’t show any emotion. He then shook his head in disagreement because the jurors had been polled concerning the verdict. A few of his members of the family broke down in tears. He’ll be sentenced Oct. 29.
Menendez informed reporters outdoors the courthouse he was “deeply, deeply disenchanted by the jury’s choice” and predicted, “we will likely be profitable upon enchantment.”
“I’ve by no means violated my public oath,” he mentioned. He didn’t reply questions on whether or not he would resign.
Menendez was charged with 16 counts, together with bribery, extortion, appearing as a international agent, obstruction of justice and several other counts of conspiracy. He had pleaded not responsible within the case, as did his spouse, Nadine Menendez, whose trial was delayed indefinitely following her surgical procedure after a breast most cancers analysis.
The jury deliberated for about 12 1/2 hours over three days earlier than returning the verdicts.
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., referred to as on Menendez to resign after the jury’s choice. “In mild of this responsible verdict, Senator Menendez should now do what is correct for his constituents, the Senate, and our nation, and resign,” mentioned Schumer.
Schumer had beforehand mentioned he was disenchanted in his colleague and that Menendez hadn’t lived as much as the excessive requirements anticipated of a senator, however had stopped wanting calling for his resignation.
Prosecutors mentioned three businessmen paid bribes to Menendez and his spouse in alternate for the senator taking actions to profit them and the governments of Qatar and Egypt. In keeping with prosecutors, these bribes included gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz given to Nadine Menendez and greater than $480,000 in money, which the FBI discovered stuffed into closets, jackets bearing Menendez’s identify and different clothes when the bureau searched his New Jersey residence in 2022.
Two of these businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, confronted trial alongside Menendez and had been convicted on all counts as effectively. The third businessman who was charged, Jose Uribe, pleaded responsible and testified through the trial, which lasted 9 weeks earlier than going to the jury Friday.
Menendez didn’t testify in his personal protection; his group argued that he was appearing on behalf of his constituents, as any senator ought to, and that the federal government had not confirmed that the money or gold bars got as bribes.
The senator’s sister, Caridad Gonzalez, testified for his protection that their dad and mom had been Cuban immigrants and their father discouraged them from trusting banks, so she was not stunned when within the mid-Nineteen Eighties her brother requested her to seize $500 from a shoe field in a bed room closet. “It was regular. It’s a Cuban factor,” she mentioned.
Prosecutors famous that a number of the envelopes of money within the Menendezes’ residence had Daibes’ fingerprints, whereas others had associates of Hana’s. Prosecutor Paul Monteleone informed jurors in his closing assertion that Menendez was “desperately attempting to move the buck” for the a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} present in the home. “The 1000’s and 1000’s of dollars cease right here,” he mentioned.
The decision lands simply months earlier than Menendez’s Senate seat comes earlier than New Jersey voters this fall. Menendez determined months in the past, as his recognition took a success, that he wouldn’t search the Democratic nomination. However he filed to run as an unbiased, a transfer that threatened to complicate the dynamics in a race that will ordinarily be a layup for Democrats within the liberal state. The Democratic nominee for the seat is Rep. Andy Kim and the Republican nominee is Curtis Bashaw.
Menendez should now determine whether or not to proceed pursuing that run. In March, he had indicated in a video assertion that his candidacy may hinge on whether or not he’s exonerated of the fees. “I’m hopeful that my exoneration will happen this summer season and permit me to pursue my candidacy as an unbiased Democrat within the basic election,” Menendez mentioned on the time.
Kim mentioned after the decision that it was “a tragic and somber day for New Jersey and our nation.”
“I referred to as on Senator Menendez to step down when these expenses had been first made public, and now that he has been discovered responsible, I consider the one plan of action for him is to resign his seat instantly. The individuals of New Jersey deserve higher,” Kim mentioned.
It was the second corruption trial of Menendez’s 18-year profession within the Senate — the earlier one resulted in a mistrial on account of a hung jury in 2018, and the Justice Division subsequently dropped the fees in opposition to him; Menendez had additionally denied wrongdoing in that case.
Menendez beforehand served for 13 years within the Home and was elected to the Senate in 2006, ultimately rising to grow to be the chairman of the highly effective Senate Overseas Relations Committee. His political profession dates again practically 4 a long time to the mid-Nineteen Eighties, when he turned mayor of Union Metropolis.
The end result may have an effect on whether or not he serves out his time period. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has led the cost to push Menendez out for months, disparaging and mocking him as too corrupt to serve. A majority of Senate Democrats, together with Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., in addition to a lot of the state’s Democratic Home delegation, had additionally referred to as for Menendez to resign even earlier than the trial.
Although Menendez stepped apart as chairman of the Overseas Relations Committee after the fees had been introduced, he has stayed on as a voting member of the committee and the Senate.
There isn’t a provision barring a senator who’s been convicted of a felony from serving out his time period. If he doesn’t resign, the Senate may transfer to expel, a course of that will begin with an Ethics Committee investigation. The committee mentioned Tusday it’ll full that investigation “promptly” and contemplate the “full vary of disciplinary actions” out there. If the panel really helpful his expulsion, it will take a two-thirds vote of your entire Senate — 67 votes — to take action.
Thirty-one Democratic senators had already referred to as for him to resign earlier than the conviction.
Since 1789, the Senate has expelled solely 15 members, with 14 of them ousted for his or her function within the confederacy. The final time a senator was expelled was in 1862. Six senators have been convicted of crimes since that point; three wound up resigning, two served out their phrases and one died earlier than the Senate may act.