For the second time in less than a decade, New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is inside a federal courtroom accused on federal corruption charges. The embattled senator on Monday arrived in New York to stand trial, his time fighting allegations that he traded his political influence for cash, gold bars and other luxuries to benefit three New Jersey businessmen and aid the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The long-awaited trial began with the first phase of jury selection. U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said once the jury is selected, the trial is expected to last up to seven weeks. Out of 100 potential jurors, 38 were rejected as being unable to abide by the trial schedule. The judge is set to bring in an additional 50 potential jurors on Tuesday for questioning.
For much of the day, Menendez sat with his lawyers and two of his co-defendants, New Jersey businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, both accused of paying bribes to Menendez. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, accepted a plea deal and has cooperated with the government. The senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez – a key figure in the case – will be tried separately in July after she undergoes surgery for an undisclosed medical condition.
Menendez is facing 16 felony charges, including bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice and acting as an unregistered foreign agent — all of which he’s pleaded not guilty.
This scene might seem all too familiar for Menendez. In 2017, Menendez faced similar charges of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud. Prosecutors alleged the senator accepted money in political contributions and luxury items in exchange for political favors. The senator denied these allegations. The case ultimately ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
