Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, was found guilty on all counts Monday after being tried on charges of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office prosecuted the case, celebrated the verdict, stating that Menendez’s “years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end.”
During the reading of the verdict, Menendez exhibited no emotion, resting his chin on his hands. He shook his head in disagreement as the jurors were polled. Some of his family members broke down in tears. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29.
Outside the courthouse, Menendez expressed his deep disappointment with the jury’s decision and predicted success upon appeal, insisting, “I have never violated my public oath.” He did not address questions about resigning.
Menendez faced 16 charges including bribery, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice, and several conspiracy counts. He had pleaded not guilty, as did his wife, Nadine Menendez, whose trial was delayed indefinitely after she underwent surgery for breast cancer.
The jury deliberated for approximately 12½ hours over three days before delivering the verdicts.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Menendez to resign following the verdict. “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” said Schumer. Previously, Schumer had expressed disappointment in Menendez but had stopped short of demanding his resignation.
Prosecutors alleged that three businessmen paid bribes to Menendez and his wife in exchange for the senator taking actions benefiting them and the governments of Qatar and Egypt. Bribes included gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz for Nadine Menendez, and more than $480,000 in cash, found by the FBI during a 2022 search of Menendez’s New Jersey home.
Two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were tried alongside Menendez and also found guilty on all counts. Another businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified during the trial.
Menendez did not testify in his own defense. His team argued he was acting on behalf of his constituents and that the government failed to prove the cash or gold bars were given as bribes.
Menendez’s sister, Caridad Gonzalez, testified that their parents, Cuban immigrants, discouraged them from trusting banks. She said it wasn’t unusual for her brother to store money at home, describing it as “a Cuban thing.”
Prosecutors highlighted envelopes of cash found in Menendez’s home with Daibes’ and Hana’s fingerprints. Prosecutor Paul Monteleone emphasized Menendez’s attempt to deflect responsibility for the money found. “The thousands and thousands of bucks stop here,” he stated.
The verdict arrives months before Menendez’s Senate seat is up for reelection. Facing declining popularity, Menendez opted not to seek the Democratic nomination but filed to run as an independent. This move complicates the race against Democratic nominee Rep. Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw.
Menendez’s future candidacy hinges on his exoneration, as suggested in a March video statement where he expressed hope for a summer exoneration that would enable him to run.
Rep. Kim called Monday a “sad and somber day for New Jersey and our country.” He reiterated his stance that Menendez should resign, stating, “The people of New Jersey deserve better.”
This is Menendez’s second corruption trial during his 18-year Senate career; the first in 2018 resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury, and subsequent charges were dropped. Menendez also denied wrongdoing in that case.
Menendez previously served 13 years in the House and was elected to the Senate in 2006, where he became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His political career spans nearly four decades, beginning as mayor of Union City in the mid-1980s.
The outcome of the trial may impact whether Menendez completes his term. Sen. John Fetterman has long called for Menendez’s resignation, joined by a majority of Senate Democrats and New Jersey’s Democratic House delegation.
Menendez stepped down as Foreign Relations Committee chairman after charges were brought but continues as a voting committee member and senator.
There is no rule barring a convicted senator from serving out their term. However, if Menendez does not resign, the Senate could seek expulsion, which would require an Ethics Committee investigation and a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
As of now, 31 Democratic senators have called for Menendez to resign before the conviction.
Historically, the Senate has expelled only 15 members, mostly for Civil War-era Confederacy support. The last expulsion occurred in 1862. Since then, six senators have been convicted of crimes, with three resigning, two serving their terms, and one dying before Senate action.