The federal corruption trial for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) began with jury selection in Manhattan yesterday over charges he and his wife, Nadine, accepted bribes from three wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favors.
The indictment alleges Menendez received over $100K in gold bars, $486K in cash, and a luxury car in exchange for using his political position to influence military sales and other deals benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez, who resigned in September as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, denies wrongdoing. He claims he was unaware of the business dealings, alleging they were his wife's actions. He has also cited trauma from his family's history in Cuba as the reason for the stored cash.
Menendez will be tried alongside two of the businessmen, while one has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify. The latest case comes after an unrelated 2015 criminal indictment against the 70-year-old three-term senator ended in a mistrial in 2017. Nadine Menendez's trial has been delayed until July for health reasons.
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