Prime Democrat faces rising calls to resign after being discovered responsible of accepting money, gold bars and different bribes.
Prime United States Senator Bob Menendez has been discovered responsible of all 16 prison counts he confronted in a broadly watched corruption trial in New York, together with bribery and performing as an unregistered overseas agent.
A Manhattan federal courtroom jury delivered its verdict on Tuesday after deliberating for greater than 12 hours over three days.
After the decision was learn out, Menendez rested his elbows on the desk, clasped his fingers collectively, and stared straight forward. He mentioned afterwards that he plans to enchantment.
“I’ve by no means been something however a patriot of my nation and for my nation. I’ve by no means, ever been a overseas agent,” Menendez mentioned.
Prosecutors had accused Menendez, a New Jersey lawmaker and an influential determine within the Democratic Occasion, of collaborating in overlapping bribery schemes by which he and his spouse accepted bribes from three businessmen who needed Menendez’s assist.
In trade for lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} in money, gold bars, and automobile and mortgage funds, Menendez helped steer billions of {dollars} in US help to Egypt, the place one of many businessmen, Wael Hana, had ties to authorities officers, in response to prosecutors.
Menendez additionally was accused of searching for to affect prison probes involving two different businessmen, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe.
Hana and Daibes had been co-defendants within the US senator’s trial and had been additionally convicted on every of the counts they confronted. Uribe pleaded responsible and testified as a prosecution witness in opposition to Menendez.
Menendez – who additionally pleaded not responsible to the fees, which included bribery, performing as an unregistered overseas agent and obstructing justice – didn’t testify throughout the trial.
However he had insisted publicly he was solely doing his job because the chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee.
Reporting from outdoors the courtroom in New York on Tuesday afternoon after the decision was delivered, Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey mentioned Menendez’s legal professionals additionally tried to color the senator’s spouse, Nadine, because the offender throughout the trial.
“However the prosecution laid out a really detailed case over these 9 weeks exhibiting that Menendez not solely was concerned on this, however knew what was occurring,” Saloomey mentioned.
Calls to resign
Menendez’s conviction comes 4 months earlier than November’s US election and doubtlessly dooms any hope the longtime politician had of campaigning for re-election as an unbiased candidate.
Instantly after Tuesday’s responsible verdict was introduced, progressive activists and lawmakers from Menendez’s personal Democratic Occasion known as on him to resign.
The watchdog group Residents for Duty and Ethics in Washington mentioned on social media that “there isn’t a room within the Senate for a convicted felon, particularly not one convicted of taking bribes”.
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer additionally mentioned on X that Menendez ought to “do what is true for his constituents, the Senate, and our nation, and resign”.
That was echoed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, additionally a Democrat, who mentioned in an announcement that Menendez had “violated the belief of his constituents and betrayed his oath of workplace”.
“I reiterate my name for Senator Menendez to resign instantly,” Murphy mentioned. “If he refuses to vacate his workplace, I name on the US Senate to vote to expel him.”
Right now’s verdict discovering Senator Bob Menendez responsible on 16 counts demonstrates that the Senator broke the regulation, violated the belief of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of workplace.
In America, everybody – regardless of how highly effective – is accountable to our legal guidelines. pic.twitter.com/ljJrQFB2eu
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 16, 2024
Menendez resigned as chair of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee upon being charged final September, however has resisted calls to step down.
In a 2022 raid on the New Jersey house the place Menendez lived together with his spouse, FBI brokers confiscated gold bars value practically $150,000 and greater than $480,000 in money, a few of it stuffed into boots and jackets emblazoned with the senator’s identify.
Menendez’s spouse additionally has been charged, though her trial has been postponed whereas she recovers from breast most cancers surgical procedure.
On Tuesday, US District Decide Sidney Stein set Menendez’s sentencing for October 29, per week earlier than the election on November 5.
The senator faces the opportunity of a prolonged jail time period: Of the 16 counts on which he was convicted, essentially the most critical carry a possible sentence of 20 years.
