New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was discovered responsible on 16 counts associated to a scheme through which he accepted bribes, together with gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz, in alternate for serving to international governments .
After three days of deliberations and greater than 12 hours, the jury discovered Menendez responsible. The trial lasted 9 weeks.
Menendez – the previous chairman of the highly effective Senate Overseas Relations Committee – now faces the prospect of a long time in jail.
Democratic lawmakers have known as on him to resign from Congress in gentle of his conviction.
“Senator Menendez should now do the suitable factor for his constituents, the Senate, and our nation and resign,” Democratic Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer stated in an announcement.
Menendez maintained his innocence all through the trial, and his legal professionals argued that the presents he accepted didn’t qualify as bribes as a result of prosecutors did not show that he took any particular motion on account of accepting the presents.
His spouse, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, additionally faces costs within the bribery case, however her trial was postponed so she may obtain remedy for breast most cancers. She has pleaded not responsible.
His legal professionals have sought to pin the blame on Mrs Menendez, portraying her as somebody in monetary misery who needed to “get no matter money and property she may”.
Two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, are additionally on trial on costs of looking for out senators to illegally help the Egyptian authorities and acquire tens of millions of {dollars} from Qatari funding funds.
A 3rd businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded responsible on the trial and testified in opposition to Mr Menendez.
Through the trial, prosecutors relied on professional testimony, emails and briefings from Mr. Menendez to show that the senator accepted giant rewards from international governments.
They stated the presents included gold bars price greater than $100,000 (£79,000). A number of the gold bars got to the jurors as proof on the trial.
Jurors additionally heard that FBI brokers discovered greater than $480,000 (£370,452) in money at Menendez’s house, some stuffed in envelopes and jackets.
In alternate for bribes, prosecutors stated, Menendez helped safe tens of millions of {dollars} in U.S. help to Egypt, and Hana had ties to Egyptian authorities officers.
He’s additionally accused of making an attempt to affect prison investigations involving Debis and Uribe. Each businessmen had been co-defendants within the Menendez case and had been additionally convicted of the costs they confronted.
Menendez is at present operating as an unbiased, looking for to maintain his seat within the November election. A lot of the state’s Democrats abandoned him final 12 months after indictments revealed he had gold bars hidden in his house.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., stated the decision marked a “unhappy and somber day” for the state.
“When these allegations first turned public, I known as on Senator Menendez to step down, and now that he has been discovered responsible, I consider his solely plan of action is to resign instantly,” Mr. King stated in an announcement.
“The folks of New Jersey deserve higher,” he stated.
The senator has beforehand confronted federal corruption costs. He went on trial in 2017 on costs the Justice Division supplied political favors to a rich Florida ophthalmologist in alternate for luxurious holidays and different lavish presents.
However the case led to a mistrial after he was acquitted on sure costs and the jury was unable to achieve a unanimous verdict.
