US Senator Bob Menendez, the once-powerful New Jersey Democrat, was discovered responsible of bribery, extortion and performing as a overseas agent of Egypt after a corruption trial targeted on 13 gold bars, practically $500,000 in money and a Mercedes-Benz seized at his dwelling.
A jury convicted Menendez on all 16 counts towards him Tuesday after a two-month trial in New York federal court docket, the place prosecutors claimed the lawmaker bought his affect to guard businessmen and promote Egypt’s pursuits. Menendez, who faces as many as 20 years in jail on probably the most severe counts, confirmed no emotion because the jury foreperson mentioned “responsible” time and again.
Prosecutors argued that Menendez’s spouse, Nadine, was a key go-between who collected bribes and arrange conferences with the businessmen and Egyptian officers. She was additionally charged, however will face a later trial.
“Senator Menendez should now do what is correct for his constituents, the Senate, and our nation, and resign,” Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned after the decision.
If Menendez doesn’t resign, the Senate might transfer to expel him. No senator has been expelled because the Civil Conflict, although many have resigned beneath stress from social gathering leaders. If Menendez leaves, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, would appoint a alternative till Menendez’s time period ends on Jan. 3.
Exterior the courthouse, Menendez mentioned he was “deeply upset” and that he expects to succeed on attraction.
“I’ve by no means violated my public oath, I’ve by no means been something however a patriot of my nation and for my nation,” Menendez mentioned. “I’ve by no means, ever been a overseas agent and the choice rendered by the jury at this time would put in danger each member of the US Senate by way of what they suppose a overseas agent could be.”
The three-term senator was the primary member of Congress convicted of being a public official performing as a overseas agent. He was additionally discovered responsible of bribery, extortion, conspiracy, trustworthy companies wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Menendez, the senior Hispanic lawmaker in Congress, noticed his political assist vanish in Washington and New Jersey amid the publicity of the money, gold and the Mercedes convertible seized by the FBI from his dwelling in 2022. Following the indictment, he resigned as chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee.
Learn Extra: Bob Menendez Jurors Held Gold Bars, Saw Secret Video, Eyed Cash
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Within the courtroom, considered one of Menendez’s legal professionals patted him on the shoulder as the decision was learn. The choose set a sentencing date for Oct. 29 for Menendez and two co-defendants convicted with him, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. Like Menendez, Daibes and Hana are anticipated to attraction.
Prosecutors mentioned Menendez corruptly helped Egypt safe US army help and delicate info; urged a US agriculture undersecretary to cease questioning Hana’s halal monopoly; weighed appointing a US legal professional in New Jersey who would affect a 2018 fraud indictment of Daibes; contacted the New Jersey legal professional normal to disrupt New Jersey felony probes of two folks near Uribe; and helped Daibes organize financing from a Qatari funding fund for an actual property challenge.
‘All That Energy’
“This case has at all times been about stunning ranges of corruption,” US Legal professional Damian Williams mentioned in a statement after watching the decision within the courtroom. “This wasn’t politics as ordinary; this was politics for revenue. As a result of Senator Menendez has now been discovered responsible, his years of promoting his workplace to the very best bidder have lastly come to an finish.”
The bribes started when Menendez, 70, began relationship Nadine Arslanian in 2018, simply after an earlier corruption trial towards him led to a hung jury, prosecutors mentioned. They wed in 2020.
On the trial, jurors held the gold bars stashed within the Menendez home, heard about their tumultuous relationship, and watched a secret FBI video of the couple eating at a Morton’s steakhouse with an Egyptian intelligence official. A 3rd businessman, former insurance coverage dealer Jose Uribe, pleaded responsible and testified he bribed Arslanian with a Mercedes.
Menendez didn’t testify however denied wrongdoing. His legal professionals mentioned he took no bribes or official actions to advance any quid-pro-quo schemes. His legal professional Adam Payment derided the US case as “painfully skinny,” woven from “fantasy” hypothesis and misguided inferences.
Money in Closets
Protection legal professionals sought to defuse the explosive coronary heart of the case — gold bars and money stuffed in closets, boots, jackets, a secure and a purchasing bag. Utilizing fingerprints and DNA proof, prosecutors traced $82,500 of cash-stuffed envelopes to Daibes.
Serial numbers on two one-kilogram gold bars, valued at about $60,000 every, matched these on a listing Daibes stored. Daibes, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp, gave different kilogram bars to Nadine Menendez, who bought all however two earlier than the FBI raid, the US mentioned. Protection legal professionals mentioned she inherited gold bars from her Lebanese household, and there’s no proof the gold she bought got here from Daibes.
Payment mentioned Menendez’s Cuban immigrant dad and mom hoarded money, and that the senator routinely withdrew $400 for many years from a checking account. He additionally argued Daibes had been pals with Menendez for 30 years, and he gave items out of friendship, not corrupt intent.
Jurors heard Arslanian was mesmerized by Menendez after they started relationship, calling him “mon amour” in gushing texts. She and Hana arrange conferences with Egyptian officers whilst she confronted foreclosures on her mortgage and struggled to pay for a brand new automobile after totaling a Mercedes when she struck and killed a pedestrian. Prosecutors mentioned Hana gave her a no-show job and paid her mortgage, each as bribes.
Uribe, the cooperating witness, testified he gave her $15,000 in money in a diner car parking zone as a down fee on a brand new automobile, and made month-to-month funds for nearly three years. He pushed Arslanian to prod Menendez to contact New Jersey’s legal professional normal on the time, Gurbir Grewal, to induce him to drop the insurance coverage fraud indictment of an affiliate.
Serial Liar
Protection legal professionals grilled Uribe, in search of to indicate he was a serial liar who shouldn’t be trusted.
Grewal testified that Menendez known as him in January 2019, and met with him eight months later, to complain about insurance coverage fraud investigations of Hispanic truckers.
“Menendez is wise, Menendez is cautious,” prosecutor Paul Monteleoni mentioned in his summation. “He wasn’t silly sufficient to inform Grewal it is advisable to kill this case.” As a substitute, Menendez “used a pretend declare of discrimination as a tactic as a result of that could be a severe accusation, one that would get a case dismissed,” and it gave him deniability “if anybody ever accused him of improperly pressuring Grewal,” the prosecutor mentioned.
The case is US v. Menendez, 23-cr-490, US District Courtroom, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
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