Sen. Bob Menendez Found Guilty on All Counts in Corruption Trial Benefiting Qatar and Egypt

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Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey has been found guilty on all counts in a high-profile corruption trial that revealed his acceptance of bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. The verdict, which comes as Menendez campaigns for re-election to his New Jersey Senate seat as an independent, has sparked widespread calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats.

 

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, hailed the verdict. "Menendez’s years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end," Williams stated. During the reading of the verdict, Menendez appeared emotionless, with his hands crossed and his chin resting on them, though he later shook his head in disagreement as the jurors were polled.

 

Some family members broke down in tears. Following the verdict, Menendez expressed his disappointment to reporters outside the courthouse, saying he was "deeply, deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision" and predicted that "we will be successful upon appeal." He maintained his innocence, asserting, "I have never violated my public oath." However, he did not answer questions about whether he would resign.

 

Menendez faced 16 charges, including bribery, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice, and several counts of conspiracy. His wife, Nadine Menendez, also charged, had her trial delayed indefinitely due to surgery following a breast cancer diagnosis. The jury deliberated for approximately 12½ hours over three days before delivering their verdicts.

 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quickly called for Menendez to step down, stating, "In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign." Schumer had previously expressed disappointment in Menendez, noting that the senator had not lived up to the high standards expected of a senator, but had refrained from explicitly calling for his resignation until the verdict was delivered.

 

The prosecution argued that three businessmen paid bribes to Menendez and his wife in exchange for the senator taking actions to benefit them and the governments of Qatar and Egypt. These bribes included gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz given to Nadine Menendez, and more than $480,000 in cash, which the FBI found hidden in closets, jackets bearing Menendez’s name, and other clothing during a search of his New Jersey home in 2022. Two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were tried alongside Menendez and were convicted on all counts. The third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified during the nine-week trial.

 

Menendez did not testify in his defense. His legal team argued that he was acting on behalf of his constituents as any senator should and claimed that the government had not proven that the cash or gold bars were given as bribes. Menendez's sister, Caridad Gonzalez, testified that their Cuban immigrant parents had discouraged them from trusting banks, which is why it was not surprising to her when Menendez asked her to retrieve $500 from a shoe box in a closet in the mid-1980s. "It was normal. It’s a Cuban thing," she explained.

 

Prosecutors pointed out that some of the cash envelopes in the Menendezes' home had Daibes’ fingerprints, while others bore the fingerprints of associates of Hana. Prosecutor Paul Monteleone emphasized in his closing statement that Menendez was "desperately trying to pass the buck" for the large sums of money found in his home, declaring, "The thousands and thousands of bucks stop here."

 

The guilty verdict lands just months before Menendez’s Senate seat comes up for election in New Jersey. Menendez had already decided not to seek the Democratic nomination due to a decline in his popularity, instead filing to run as an independent. This move threatens to complicate the dynamics of a race that would ordinarily favor Democrats in the liberal state. The Democratic nominee for the seat is Rep. Andy Kim, while the Republican nominee is Curtis Bashaw.

 

Menendez now faces a crucial decision regarding his candidacy. In March, he indicated in a video statement that his candidacy could hinge on the outcome of his trial, expressing hope that an exoneration would allow him to pursue his candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election. "I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election," he said at the time.

 

Rep. Andy Kim reacted to the verdict by reiterating his call for Menendez to step down, stating, "It is a sad and somber day for New Jersey and our country. I called on Senator Menendez to step down when these charges 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."

 

This marks the second corruption trial in Menendez’s 18-year Senate career. The previous trial in 2018 resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury, and the Justice Department subsequently dropped the charges. Menendez had also denied wrongdoing in that case. Before his tenure in the Senate, Menendez served for 13 years in the House and was elected to the Senate in 2006, eventually rising to become the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His political career dates back nearly four decades to the mid-1980s when he became mayor of Union City.

 

The guilty verdict could significantly impact whether Menendez serves out his current term. Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., has led the charge to push Menendez out, mocking him as too corrupt to serve. A majority of Senate Democrats, including Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., and most of New Jersey’s Democratic House delegation, had called for Menendez to resign even before the trial concluded. Although Menendez stepped aside as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were brought, he has remained a voting member of both the committee and the Senate.

 

There is no provision barring a senator who has been convicted of a felony from serving out his term. If Menendez does not resign, the Senate could initiate proceedings to expel him, starting with an Ethics Committee investigation. The committee has stated that it will complete its investigation "promptly" and consider the "full range of disciplinary actions" available. If the panel recommends his expulsion, it would require a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate—67 votes—to remove him from office.

 

Historically, the Senate has expelled only 15 members since 1789, 14 of whom were ousted for their roles in the Confederacy. The last time a senator was expelled was in 1862. Since then, six senators have been convicted of crimes; three resigned, two served out their terms, and one died before the Senate could act. Thirty-one Democratic senators had already called for Menendez to resign before his conviction.

 

Credit: NBC News 2024-07-17

 

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[thaibeachlovers]

Oh no, say it ain't so. But, but, but he's a Democrat and we know they are all pure as driven snow. Were the jury all MAGA?

 

[CallumWK]

46 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., has led the charge to push Menendez out, mocking him as too corrupt to serve.

 

So, little bit corrupt is still OK in Democrat circles?

[Tug]

4 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

So, little bit corrupt is still OK in Democrat circles?

I haven’t a clue as to what you are insinuating not a clue,but this I do know it blows the trumpist dem law fare spiel out of the water 

[CallumWK]

2 minutes ago, Tug said:

I haven’t a clue as to what you are insinuating not a clue,but this I do know it blows the trumpist dem law fare spiel out of the water 

 

Well, we all know that you probably never attended English language classes, but this should be easy to understand, even for you

 

too corrupt to serve.