Top US Senator Bob Menendez’s corruption trial begins | Courts News

Jury choice begins in trial accusing high Democrat of accepting bribes and appearing as unregistered international agent.

Jury choice has begun within the corruption trial of Bob Menendez, a high United States senator who’s accused of accepting bribes in trade for a variety of favours and appearing as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian authorities.

Menendez, 70, faces 16 felony prices and is being tried alongside two New Jersey businessmen in Manhattan federal courtroom.

Menendez sat together with his attorneys on Monday and listened as Choose Sidney H Stein instructed a number of dozen potential jurors in regards to the prices.

The choose instructed them the “sitting US senator from the state of New Jersey” had been charged in a conspiracy during which he allegedly “agreed to simply accept bribes and accepted bribes”.

Menendez’s spouse, Nadine, has additionally been charged however shall be tried individually. All 4 defendants have pleaded not responsible.

In September, prosecutors accused Menendez and his spouse of accepting money, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible in trade for the senator wielding his political affect in New Jersey and serving to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

Authorities stated Menendez promised to assist Egypt receive arms gross sales and different navy support, and helped co-defendant Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, receive a profitable monopoly on the certification of halal meat exports to Egypt.

Prosecutors additionally stated Menendez tried to assist his different co-defendant, outstanding New Jersey developer Fred Daibes, receive hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from a Qatari funding fund, and sought to disrupt a federal felony case towards Daibes in New Jersey.

A lot of the money acquired by the couple was stuffed inside clothes at their house, prosecutors stated.

A number of weeks after the preliminary indictment was unsealed, US authorities in October additionally charged Menendez – who beforehand chaired the influential Senate Overseas Affairs Committee – with serving as an unregistered agent of Egypt.

Chatting with reporters in late September, Menendez stated he was assured he could be exonerated within the case and would proceed his political profession.

“I firmly consider that when all of the details are offered, not solely will I be exonerated, however I nonetheless shall be New Jersey’s senior senator,” he stated.

He additionally sought to defend his file on Egypt.

“All through my 30 years within the Home of Representatives and the Senate, I’ve at all times labored to carry accountable these international locations together with Egypt for human rights abuses, the repression of its citizenry, civil society, and extra,” he instructed reporters on the time.

Menendez is up for re-election in November and has stated he would possibly run as an impartial if he’s exonerated within the felony case.

However current polls present he’s deeply unpopular amongst New Jersey voters and lots of Democratic Occasion senators, together with New Jersey’s Cory Booker, have referred to as for him to resign.

Fewer than one in six voters polled in March by Monmouth College and Emerson School Polling/PIX11/The Hill stated they accepted of Menendez’s job efficiency. Even fewer stated they might vote for him as an impartial.

That is Menendez’s second felony trial: In 2017, a New Jersey federal choose declared a mistrial after jurors deadlocked on whether or not he broke the regulation by offering assist to a rich ophthalmologist in trade for lavish presents and political contributions.