Senator. Bob Menendez found guilty of all charges, including serving as an agent for foreign agents during a corruption trial in front of Federal authorities.

Menendez was the only senator who was found to be guilty of the role of an agent with the foreign country of.

by Aaron Katersky, Meredith Deliso

16 Jul 2024 at 08:06 10:06 PM

Senator. Bob Menendez was found guilty of all counts on Wednesday in the course of his Federal corruption case .

Federal prosecutor from New York alleged the New Jersey Democrat received several hundred thousand dollars of fraudulent payments in the form of cash mortgage payments in gold bars, cash and more, to influence senators in the political world. The three New Jersey businessmen who were along with officials of Egypt and and Qatar as believed to be the recipient. Two defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes were also found guilty of the charges against them.

The jury deliberated 13 hours over the course of three days.

“I’ve never been an agent for a foreign country.’ Menendez says

Menendez admitted that he was not guilty of federal charges that include fraud, bribery as the agent of foreign agents, and the obstruction of justice. He stated that he plans to challenge his conviction and said he was “deeply disappointed” by the verdict of the jury.

“I have never violated my oath,” the judge declared before the courts the previous Wednesday. “I have never been anything other than an honest and loyal citizen of my country and my nation. I’ve never been an agent of a foreign government. “

A verdict from the jury will “put at risk each member in the United States Senate in terms of what they consider an agent from outside would be. “

Menendez has not yet responded to the question whether he will step out.

The judge will decide his sentence in October. 29. He could spend decades in prison.

Demands for resignation

Menendez does not have leave, despite his conviction, however, he may have to be cut off from the group.

Senate Majority Senate Leader. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. called for his resignation immediately in the wake of the decision.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Menendez declared.

Senator. Cory Booker, Menendez’s New Jersey counterpart as well as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined the call to have his resignation taken immediately effective. If Murphy is unable to leave his position, Murphy said he will appeal to the other members in the U.S. Senate to expel the senator.

Senate Ethics Committee said it will “promptly” complete the investigation into Menendez’s conduct that was initiated after allegations first were made against him.

The committee announced that it will be examining it’s “full range of disciplinary actions available under the Rules of Procedure,” which includes the possibility of a censure or expulsion.

He is not required to quit, despite the fact that he was found guilty, but he might be banned.

“Shocking levels of corruption”

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams The office that was in charge of the investigation, said following the ruling it “has always been about shocking levels of corruption. “

“Hundreds thousand of dollars in corruption, including cash, gold as well as the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz. It wasn’t normal politics it was a political game to make money,” Williams declared in an announcement. “Because Senator Menendez is now found guilty, his decades in selling the office to the most expensive bidder has been put to rest. Corruption isn’t free. It affects trust in the public, and can undermine the legal system. We’re dedicated to fight it regardless of the political affiliation. “

Prosecutors claimed Menendez 70 “put his power up for sale” in exchange for gold, envelopes filled with cash, checks to his wife for the job Menendez 70 did not attend to and an car that could be converted into a Mercedes-Benz. The FBI found gold bars as with more than $400,000 worth of cash that was stuffed into items like shoes and jackets the house of his client, prosecution declared.

“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said during his closing argument on the 8th of July. “Robert Menendez was adamant about all the power he could get and also wanted to make use of it to accumulate wealth for his wife and himself. “

Defense was against the DOJ’s decision calling it ‘fantastically absurd’

The defense claimed that all the actions in the indictment fall under the authority of Menendez’s duties and the prosecution was not able to show that Menendez accepted any bribes or payments.

In the defence argument during the closing argument defense lawyer Adam Fee ridiculed the government’s argument in the form of “cherry-picked nonsense” and accused the prosecution of “fudging” the facts.

“The only honest verdict I submit here is to acquit him on each count,” Fee told that jury in the 9th July. “His actions were legal and a good thing for our country. “

Menendez did not provide evidence to support his case. The defense restated their case, on third day of July Menendez said to reporters “From my standpoint the government has failed to prove all aspects in its defense. “

He stated that he was hoping that his lawyers would provide the jury with an “convincing and powerful summation” and hoped that the jury wouldn’t decide to find him guilty.

New Jersey businessmen, Menendez’s wife, is accused in this instance

Prosecutors have revealed to jurors that Menendez declared he was willing to utilize his power to help Egypt. In the indictment, the deal was orchestrated by Hana who is a New Jersey businessman and friend of Nadine, the spouse to Menendez, Nadine, who according to the prosecution, obtained the senator’s backing to keep a halal meat the meat monopoly.

Menendez is also accused of receiving a amount of $60,000 in an convertible Mercedes-Benz car to reward him for helping in the prosecution of a criminal case filed through The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

Prosecutors claimed that in the spring of 2019 another New Jersey businessman, Jose Uribe who has admitted guilt to the charges, and handed Nadine $15,000 cash, that she used payment for the vehicle. Nadine sent a text message to Menendez, “Congratulations. We are proud owners of a new Mercedes,” according to the prosecution. Uribe continued to make monthly payments, prosecutor stated.

Prosecutors claimed that senator had made deals with a man who was in business, Daibes, that he would not interfere with Daibes federal prosecution efforts. He also promised to aid Qatar’s government Qatar through the approval of a Senate resolution in praise of Qatar.

Daibes Fingerprints of Daibes found on envelopes containing cash found at the residence of Menendez and serial numbers on gold bars tied them towards Daibes and Hana according to the investigators.

In the two years of trial, jurors were able understand the reasons his sister gave for the reasons Menendez was found to have an abundance of cash inside his congressional jacket “It’s a Cuban thing,” Caridad Gonzalez said.

Also, the defense told jurors that Menendez and his wife, who is being tried in the trial, had distinct lives and financial concerns that she hid from her husband.

Daibes as well Hana Daibes along with Hana Daibes and Hana defense of the charges. Uribe admitted his guilt and testified during the trial of three defendants during their trial.

A wife of senator Menendez has pleaded guilty of her accusations. The trial will take place separately in August due to an illness. She is fighting Breast cancer in the grade 3 senators, which was revealed in May, at the beginning of the trial.

2. Corruption case filed against Menendez

Menendez is Senator who hails from New Jersey. He has been senator from New Jersey since 2006, is the first senator of Congress to be charged with colluding with public officials to act as an agent with foreign origin.

In June, the month of June, June the month of June, the author submitted with the U.S. Senate to appear on the U.S. Senate ballot in New Jersey as an independent candidate.

He did not want to resign, however the resignation announcement was made as the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee following the indictment which was released towards the end of September 2023.

The second time the senator was charged with corrupt practices. An indictment from the year 2015 was dismissed after an inconclusive trial at the end of of 2018 after the jury failed to come up with a verdict for every single charge.