Sen. Bob Menendez was found guilty on all counts Tuesday in his federal corruption trial.
Federal prosecutors in New York alleged that the New Jersey Democrat accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, mortgage payments, and more in exchange for his political influence. The alleged recipients included three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Two of the co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted on all charges they faced.
The jury deliberated for about 13 hours over three days.
“I have never, ever been a foreign agent,” Menendez says
Menendez pleaded not guilty to 16 federal charges, including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction. He plans to appeal his conviction and expressed deep disappointment with the jury’s decision.
“I have never violated my oath,” he stated outside the courthouse. “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”
He also noted that the jury’s decision could influence how every Senate member perceives being labeled a foreign agent.
Menendez chose not to comment on whether he plans to resign. He will be sentenced on October 29 and faces decades in prison.
Calls to resign
Despite his conviction, Menendez is not required to resign but could be expelled. Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer immediately called for his resignation 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,” Schumer said.
Sen. Cory Booker, Menendez’s New Jersey counterpart, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined in calling for his immediate resignation. Murphy stated he will urge the U.S. Senate to expel Menendez if he refuses to vacate his seat.
The Senate Ethics Committee is expected to complete its investigation into Menendez’s conduct promptly. The committee will consider a full range of disciplinary actions, including expulsion and censure.
‘Shocking levels of corruption’
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, remarked that it involved “shocking levels of corruption.”
“Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz. This wasn’t politics as usual; this was politics for profit,” Williams said. “Because Senator Menendez has now been found guilty, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end. Corruption erodes public trust and undermines the rule of law.”
Prosecutors claimed Menendez, 70, “put his power up for sale” in exchange for gold, envelopes stuffed with money, checks to his wife for a no-show job, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. The FBI found gold bars and more than $400,000 in cash hidden in various locations in his home.
“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said. “Robert Menendez wanted to use his power to accumulate riches for himself and his wife.”
Defense derided DOJ’s case as ‘cherry-picked nonsense’
The defense insisted all the actions in the indictment were within the scope of Menendez’s position and alleged that the prosecution failed to prove he took any bribes.
Defense attorney Adam Fee called the government’s case “cherry-picked nonsense” and accused prosecutors of “fudging” the facts.
“The only honest verdict here is to acquit him on each count,” Fee told the jury. “His actions were lawful, normal, and good for the country.”
Menendez did not testify in his own defense. After the defense rested its case, he stated he felt the government had failed to prove their case.
New Jersey businessmen, Menendez’s wife charged in case
Prosecutors said Menendez promised to use his power to help Egypt. The arrangement was reportedly brokered by Hana, a New Jersey businessman and friend of Menendez’s wife. Menendez also allegedly received a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for assisting with a state investigation.
Another New Jersey businessman, Jose Uribe, who pleaded guilty, testified that he handed Nadine Menendez $15,000 in cash which was used as a down payment for the car. Uribe continued making payments on the vehicle. Prosecutors also claimed Menendez interfered in Daibes’ federal prosecution and supported a Senate resolution praising Qatar.
During the trial, it was revealed that Menendez had stashes of money in his home, which his sister explained as “a Cuban thing.”
Both Daibes and Hana pleaded not guilty. Uribe testified against them. Menendez’s wife, who also faces charges, will stand trial separately in August due to a medical condition, identified as Grade 3 breast cancer.
2nd corruption case against Menendez
Menendez, serving as senator for New Jersey since 2006, is the first sitting member of Congress to be charged with conspiracy by a public official to act as a foreign agent. He did not resign but stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the initial indictment in September 2023.
This is Menendez’s second corruption case. In 2015, he faced charges that resulted in a mistrial in 2018.