Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey was found guilty of accepting bribes, including gold and a luxury vehicle, in a nine-week trial that concluded in a Manhattan federal court.
The senator had denied the allegations, which stemmed from 16 felony charges that he accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen between 2018 and 2022. The prosecution argued that Menendez received cash and gold from the businessmen and performed favors in return, including intervening in criminal investigations and taking actions that benefited the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The prosecution’s rebuttal, which lasted four hours, revisited evidence presented during the trial, including cash and gold found in Menendez’s home, and emphasized that a video of the senator accepting the bribes was not necessary to establish a connection. Prosecutors also re-examined the testimony of Jose Uribe, one of the businessmen accused of bribing Menendez, who had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Menendez’s conviction carries the potential for prison time, and the senator’s wife, Nadine, has also been accused of accepting bribes and performing favors in return. Nadine’s trial has been postponed due to her ongoing recovery from breast cancer surgery.
