Sen. Bob Menendez Found Guilty on All Counts in Federal Corruption Trial

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was found guilty on all counts on Tuesday in his federal corruption trial.

ABC News reported:

Federal prosecutors in New York alleged the New Jersey Democrat accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, mortgage payments and more in exchange for the senator’s political clout. Three New Jersey businessmen who were also charged, along with the governments of Egypt and Qatar, were the alleged recipients.

The jury deliberated for about 13 hours over three days.

Menendez pleaded not guilty to the 16 federal charges, which included bribery, fraud, obstruction, and acting as a foreign agent.

Until his federal indictment, he was chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The New Jersey Democrat “is the first sitting member of Congress to be charged with conspiracy by a public official to act as a foreign agent.”

Federal prosecutors claimed that Menendez had “put up his power for sale” in exchange for gold, envelopes full of cash, checks to his wife for a no-show job, and a luxury automobile. The FBI had found more than $400,000 in cash stashed in various places throughout his house.

“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington. Robert Menendez wanted all that power and he also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife,” federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said on July 8.

Defense attorney Adam Fee claimed that the prosecutor’s case against the New Jersey Democrat was “cherry-picked nonsense” and accused prosecutors of “fudging” the facts.

“His actions were lawful, normal and good for the country,” Fee remarked.

ABC News continued:

Prosecutors told the jury that Menendez promised to use his power to help Egypt. According to the indictment, the arrangement was brokered by New Jersey businessman Wael Hana, a friend of Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who prosecutors said received the senator’s help preserving a halal meat monopoly.

During the trial, Menendez’s sister was asked why the senator had so much cash stuffed into his congressional jacket.

“It’s a Cuban thing,” Caridad Gonzalez said.