United States Senator Bob Menendez has been found guilty on all counts in a far-reaching corruption trial after he was accused of having received bribes in the form of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as an agent for the Egyptian government.
After three days of deliberation, a Manhattan jury found the Democrat guilty of 16 crimes, including bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
Prosecutors revealed he had misused his position to shield allies from criminal inquiries and benefit associates, including his wife. His actions involved meetings with Egyptian intelligence officials and altering his stance toward the country to expedite its access to millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.
“I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never been a foreign agent,” Menendez said, vowing to appeal as he left the courthouse.
Menendez, 70, who chose not to testify, claimed that the gold bars discovered in his New Jersey residence by the FBI belonged to his wife, Nadine Menendez. Nadine, who was also charged but pleaded not guilty. Her trial was postponed to enable her recovery from breast cancer surgery.
Following the verdict, several top Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, have called on Menendez to resign.
The jury’s decision came after a thorough investigation that included an FBI raid on Menendez’s home in Englewood Cliffs, a wealthy community across the Hudson River from New York City, in June 2022. During the raid, FBI agents confiscated nearly $150,000 worth of gold bars and almost $500,000 in cash concealed in boots, shoeboxes, and jackets.