Senator Bob Menendez, D.N.J., was subsequently found guilty on all counts is being tried on the charges including accepting bribes cash and gold barsIn favor of the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez crossed his arms and rested his chin on his hands during the sentencing. Some of the family members burst into tears. He will serve his sentence on October 29.
The jury deliberated for about 12 1/2 hours over three days and returned the verdicts.
Menendez was charged with 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice and several counts of conspiracy. He, like himself, pleaded not guilty in this case his wife, Nadine Menendezwhose trial was postponed indefinitely after surgery after a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Menendez to resign after the jury’s decision. “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do the right thing for his constituents, the Senate and our country and resign,” Schumer said.
Schumer previously said he was disappointed with his colleague and that Menendez did not live up to the high standards expected of a senator, but stopped short of calling for his resignation.
Prosecutors said the three businessmen bribed Menendez and his wife in exchange for the senator taking steps that would benefit them and the governments of Qatar and Egypt. According to prosecutors, those bribes include gold bars, a Mercedes–Benz Given by Nadine Menendez and more $480,000 cashIn 2022, when the bureau searched his New Jersey home, the FBI found the closets stuffed with jackets and other clothing bearing Menendez’s name.
Two of those businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were prosecuted along with Menendez. and were convicted on all counts. The third accused businessman, Jose Uribe, admitted his guilt and testified in the nine-week trial before going to the jury on Friday.
Menendez did not testify in his own defense; his team argued that he was acting on behalf of his constituents, as any senator should, and that the government had not proven that cash or gold bars were given as bribes.
The ruling comes months before Menendez’s Senate seat goes to New Jersey voters this fall. Menendez decided months ago that he would not seek the Democratic nomination because of his growing popularity. But he applied to work whom independenta threatening act compound dynamics in a race that would normally be a layup for Democrats in a liberal state. The Democratic candidate for this seat is Rep. Andy Kim, and the Republican candidate is Curtis Bashaw.
Menendez must now decide whether to continue this run. In March, he said in a video statement that his candidacy could hinge on his acquittal. “My hope is that my acquittal will take place this summer and allow me to continue running as an independent Democrat in the general election,” Menendez said.
“It’s a sad and sad day for New Jersey and our country,” Kim said after the verdict.
“I called for Senator Menendez’s resignation when these allegations were first made public, and now that he has been found guilty, I believe the only course of action for him is to resign his seat immediately. The people of New Jersey deserve better,” Kim said.
It was the second corruption trial of Menendez’s 18-year career in the Senate — the previous one resulted in a mistrial in 2018 due to a hung jury, and the Justice Department later dropped the charges against him; Menendez also pleaded not guilty in the case.
Menendez previously served 13 years in the House of Representatives and was elected to the Senate in 2006, eventually becoming chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His political career dates back nearly four decades to the mid-1980s when he was mayor of Union City.
The outcome may affect whether or not it expires. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., led the charge to oust Menendez for months, insulting and ridiculing him as too corrupt to serve. A majority of Senate Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., as well as a majority of the state’s House Democratic delegation, also called on Menendez to resign before the trial.
Although Menendez stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were filed, he continues to serve as a voting member of the committee and the Senate.
This is an evolving story. Please check for updates.