NEW YORK – Senator Bob Menendez (D) of New Jersey was found guilty on all counts on Tuesday for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, according to reports.
Menendez faced a variety of charges, which included bribery, extortion, obstructing justice and acting as an illegal foreign agent. The jury deliberated for about 13 hours over a period of three days before returning the guilty verdict, reported the Post Millennial.
The three-term Democrat, wearing a blue suit and pink tie in Manhattan federal court, sat with his head bowed and kept a stoic face while the jury forewoman read the word “guilty” 16 times, convicting him of each count in the indictment.
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts in corruption charges
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 16, 2024
“Mr. Menendez sold the power of his office,” prosecutor Paul Monteleoni told jurors during closing statements, according to the New York Post.
“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” Monteleoni said. “It wasn’t enough for him to be entrusted by the public with the power to approve billions of dollars of US military aid to foreign countries. Robert Menendez wanted all that power — but he also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife.”
Menendez and his wife “agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect and enrich (local businessmen Wael) Hana, (Jose) Uribe, and (Fred) Daibes, and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt,” the DOJ said at the time of his indictment last September.
Jurors heard how Menendez’s Englewood Cliffs home was swarming with gold bars and cash when FBI agents raided it in June 2022.
During the trial, photos revealed 13 gold bars worth $150,000 were located inside Menendez’s bedroom, and $486, 471 in cash spread out all over the house — including wads of bills totaling $14,500 stuffed into a pair of well-worn Timberland work boots, the New York Post reported.
Furthermore, envelopes stuffed with cash were also discovered inside Menendez’s official US Senate jacket emblazoned with his name.
“This wasn’t politics as usual,” US Attorney for the Southern District Damian Williams told reporters outside court Tuesday. “This was politics for profit.”
Menendez has refused to resign, and claims he was targeted due to his race.
“Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first generation Latin American from humble beginnings could rise to be a US senator,” Menendez said in a prior statement.
Although Menendez has an exposure of up to 222 years of prison, which is unlikely to happen, he still faces decades of incarceration, Law&Crime reported.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, still faces an indictment charging her with playing a prominent role in the commission of the crimes.
Menendez is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 29.
