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Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is dealing with his second federal corruption trial in a decade, as jury choice is scheduled to start in Manhattan federal courtroom on Monday, this time associated to prices alleging that he acted to learn the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The 70-year-old New Jersey Democrat and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, are accused of accepting bribes from three rich businessmen – actual property developer Fred Daibes, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe – in his house state and performing quite a lot of favors in return, together with meddling in legal investigations and taking actions benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez, 70, will stand trial together with two of the businessmen, Daibes and Wael Hana. All three have pleaded not responsible. Uribe has pleaded responsible and agreed to testify towards the opposite defendants. A trial for the senator’s spouse, who can be charged, is delayed till not less than July for well being causes.
The three-term senator has introduced he won’t be looking for reelection on the Democratic ticket this fall, though he has not dominated out operating as an unbiased. That might complicate issues for Democrats who’ve a slim edge within the U.S. Senate and might hardly afford the prospect of a three-way election within the Democratic stronghold of New Jersey.
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Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., departs the Senate ground within the Capitol, Sept. 28, 2023, in Washington. (AP Picture/Alex Brandon, File)
After prices have been introduced in September, Menendez was compelled out of his highly effective publish as chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee.
The senator’s political profession had its first main disaster in 2015 when he was indicted on prices involving a rich Florida eye physician accused of shopping for Menendez’s affect by way of luxurious holidays and marketing campaign contributions. On the time, Menendez resolutely denied the fees and vowed to not stop the Senate. A trial led to 2017 with a deadlocked jury, and federal prosecutors in New Jersey deserted the case.
Menendez not solely stayed in Congress, he was reelected and stored his chairmanship of the Overseas Relations Committee. He married Nadine Menendez in 2020 after the couple dated for 2 years.
Within the new case, federal prosecutors pressured that FBI brokers who searched the senator’s New Jersey house allegedly discovered a stash of gold bars, value greater than $100,000, and greater than $486,000 in money, a few of it stuffed into the pockets of clothes hanging in his closets in a raid two years in the past.
Menendez has remained within the Senate amid this newest indictment, ignoring requires him to step down earlier than his six-year time period ends Jan. 3. Not like in 2015, although, his celebration has largely deserted him. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and others referred to as on him to resign. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim launched a marketing campaign for Menendez’s seat the day after the indictment.
Sen. Bob Menendez, left, and his spouse Nadine Menendez arrive on the federal courthouse in New York, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Picture/Jeenah Moon, File)
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His fellow Democrats in Washington, D.C., seem to have already written him off, encouraging him repeatedly to resign, however Menendez has maintained a defiant stance.
“I’m harmless and can show it irrespective of what number of prices they proceed to pile on,” he mentioned after the indictment towards him was up to date once more in early March so as to add prices that he tried to impede the investigation.
Moreover prices together with bribery, extortion, fraud and obstruction of justice, Menendez is also charged with performing as a overseas agent of Egypt.
Menendez has vigorously denied doing something uncommon in his dealings with overseas officers. The senator’s attorneys in courtroom papers have mentioned they plan to elucidate that Menendez had no data of a few of what occurred as a result of his spouse, who allegedly typically served as a conduit between the boys paying the bribes, stored him at nighttime.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., talks on the Senate Finance listening to on Capitol Hill Thursday, March 21, 2024. in Washington. (AP Picture/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
In accordance with an indictment, Daibes delivered gold bars and money to Menendez and his spouse to get the senator’s assist with a multimillion-dollar take care of a Qatari funding fund, prompting Menendez to behave in methods favorable to Qatar’s authorities. The indictment additionally mentioned Menendez did issues benefiting Egyptian officers in change for bribes from Hana, because the businessman secured a invaluable take care of the Egyptian authorities to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary necessities.
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In pleading responsible a number of weeks in the past, Uribe admitted shopping for Menendez’s spouse a Mercedes-Benz to get the senator’s assist to affect legal investigations involving his enterprise associates.
Decide Sidney H. Stein has rejected Menendez’s try to assert legislative immunity protects him from the fees. The decide has but to rule on whether or not the protection can name a psychiatrist to point out Menendez habitually saved money in his house as a “concern of shortage” response to household tales about how their financial savings have been confiscated within the Communist revolution in Cuba, earlier than he was born, and due to monetary issues stemming from the playing downside of his father, a struggling carpenter.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox Information Digital masking politics, crime, police and extra. Story ideas will be despatched to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez faces second federal corruption trial with jury choice beginning Monday
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