In the federal criminal trial of Sen. Bob Menendez (DN.J.), who was charged with accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes, some of which included gold bars, in exchange for official acts. Jury selection began Monday.
The former chairman of the once-powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee appeared in a Manhattan courthouse wearing a dark suit and a senator's pin.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein outlined the 18-count indictment against Menendez and warned his lawyers and prosecutors to “respond with integrity.”
He then told potential jurors that the trial could last six to seven weeks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal estimated that prosecutors' timeline for filing an indictment would be four and a half to six and a half weeks.
Mr. Menendez, 70, sat facing forward with his hands folded in front of his chest and occasionally tapping his fingers. When she asked if there was a reason why Mr. Stein could not serve as a potential juror, Mr. Stein did not turn around, prompting many to raise their hands.
New Jersey's senior senator has pleaded not guilty to what he calls “despicable” charges and could face decades in prison if convicted.
According to the indictment, federal agents found more than $480,000 in cash in the New Jersey home he shares with his wife, “most of it stuffed in envelopes and stored in clothing, closets, It was hidden in a safe.”
It also alleges that the couple received “other items of value, including gold bars, mortgage payments, show and no-show work pay, luxury cars, jewelry and exercise equipment.”
The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, has also been charged, but due to medical issues, she is scheduled to stand trial at a later date. She did not appear in court Monday.
Prosecutors with U.S. Attorney Damian Williams' office in the Southern District of New York indicted the couple and three businessmen last September on charges of bribing the couple. One such businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty earlier this year and agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The other two, Fred Dybes and Wael Hana, have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial alongside Menendez.
The indictment alleges that Menendez made positive comments about Qatar in an effort to help Duybes obtain millions of dollars in investments from companies with ties to the country. According to the indictment, a search of Menendez's home in 2022 revealed that Duives found “two 1-kilogram gold bars with serial numbers indicating previous ownership and a 1-ounce gold bar. 9 bars were discovered.
Mr. Menendez also allegedly “provided confidential U.S. government information” in exchange for bribes from Mr. Hana and “took other steps to covertly assist the Egyptian government.”
Prosecutors also charged Menendez with attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into Mr. Menendez, his wife, and Mr. Duives, and with attempting to interfere with a state prosecution of Mr. Uribe's associates and a state investigation of the businessman's employees. did.
Menendez, who is facing widespread calls from his Democratic colleagues to resign, said in a speech on the Senate floor in January that “the trial will not provide a full accounting of what the truth is about these matters.'' This truth will prove me completely true.” I'm innocent. ”
He claimed all the cash was his. “For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account and kept it for emergencies, since my family was at risk of confiscation in Cuba,” he said in a statement in September. ” he said.
According to a court filing last week, Menendez is seeking the testimony of a forensic psychiatrist in his defense. Psychiatrists said Menendez was affected by “intergenerational family trauma and a coping mechanism that caused the senator to have a fear of scarcity and regularly withdraw cash and store it in his home.” I would say that I am receiving it.
He also called for testimony from a forensic accountant that despite prosecutors' claims that Menendez was living beyond his means, his “spending pattern was consistent with legitimate compensation and income.” There is. Prosecutors object to their testimony.
The trial of the sitting U.S. senator is taking place about two blocks from where former President Donald Trump is on trial in state court.
This is Menendez's second federal criminal trial since he was elected to the Senate in 2006. Menendez was charged in 2015 with illegally accepting benefits from a Florida eye doctor, including a flight on a private jet and three nights in a five-star hotel. He made more than $750,000 in political contributions to him and the Democratic Party in Paris. The case ended in a mistrial in 2017 after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict and prosecutors decided not to retry him.
