Senator from the US Found Guilty in Corruption Case
Bob Menendez is confronting a potential lengthy prison sentence due to allegations of accepting cash, gold, and gifts in exchange for advancing the interests of the Egyptian government. For more details, visit RT.com.
TroibNews 
US Senator Bob Menendez has been convicted on multiple charges including bribery, fraud, and acting as a foreign agent, placing the New Jersey Democrat at risk of spending many years in prison.
A New York jury on Tuesday found Menendez guilty of all 16 charges, which encompassed bribery, wire fraud, extortion, functioning as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes were found guilty of several related charges, while another businessman, Jose Uribe, had previously pled guilty and testified against the senator during the trial.
The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, was also indicted last year but will stand trial after completing treatment for breast cancer.
The prosecution argued that from at least 2018 to 2022, the Menendez couple took "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes" to favor the interests of Egypt, with Menendez leveraging his Senate authority. The bribes allegedly included cash-filled envelopes, gold bars, a luxury car, and a fictitious employment position for Nadine, arranged by the implicated New Jersey businessmen.
In return, Menendez reportedly manipulated his role in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to facilitate U.S. military aid to Egypt, shared sensitive information with Daibes, and influenced prosecutorial actions against Hana’s business rivals in the halal meat industry.
“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni stated in his closing argument earlier this month. "Robert Menendez wanted all that power and he also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife."
Menendez did not testify during the trial. His defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking the senator's actions with Egypt to the bribes and maintained that he was actually serving his constituents' interests.
Menendez, notably the first ever sitting Congress member to be charged as a foreign agent, faced immediate calls from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to resign after the verdict, urging him to "do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country."
Having been a representative for New Jersey since 2006 and up for reelection this November, Menendez already declared in June his intent to forgo Democratic Party endorsement and run as an independent.
The implications of the sentencing, set for October, are significant with Menendez potentially facing up to 20 years in prison for each charge of extortion and wire fraud, and up to 222 years if the maximum penalties are served consecutively.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
A New York jury on Tuesday found Menendez guilty of all 16 charges, which encompassed bribery, wire fraud, extortion, functioning as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes were found guilty of several related charges, while another businessman, Jose Uribe, had previously pled guilty and testified against the senator during the trial.
The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, was also indicted last year but will stand trial after completing treatment for breast cancer.
The prosecution argued that from at least 2018 to 2022, the Menendez couple took "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes" to favor the interests of Egypt, with Menendez leveraging his Senate authority. The bribes allegedly included cash-filled envelopes, gold bars, a luxury car, and a fictitious employment position for Nadine, arranged by the implicated New Jersey businessmen.
In return, Menendez reportedly manipulated his role in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to facilitate U.S. military aid to Egypt, shared sensitive information with Daibes, and influenced prosecutorial actions against Hana’s business rivals in the halal meat industry.
“It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni stated in his closing argument earlier this month. "Robert Menendez wanted all that power and he also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife."
Menendez did not testify during the trial. His defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking the senator's actions with Egypt to the bribes and maintained that he was actually serving his constituents' interests.
Menendez, notably the first ever sitting Congress member to be charged as a foreign agent, faced immediate calls from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to resign after the verdict, urging him to "do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country."
Having been a representative for New Jersey since 2006 and up for reelection this November, Menendez already declared in June his intent to forgo Democratic Party endorsement and run as an independent.
The implications of the sentencing, set for October, are significant with Menendez potentially facing up to 20 years in prison for each charge of extortion and wire fraud, and up to 222 years if the maximum penalties are served consecutively.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
