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New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has been discovered responsible on all 16 costs, together with bribery and corruption, for his involvement in a years-long bribery scheme through which he wielded his political affect to assist officers within the Egyptian authorities.
After a nine-long week trial, a jury of 12 in New York agreed with federal prosecutors that Menendez, 70, knowingly took bribes within the type of gold bars, money, automotive funds, jewellery and extra from two New Jersey businessmen and international leaders in alternate for his backing.
That help, the prosecution argued, in the end helped the US launch hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in navy help to Egypt, supported a New Jersey businessman’s monopoly on a halal-certifying meat firm, launched a New Jersey actual property developer to members of the Qatari royal household for funding functions and tried to intrude with two New Jersey felony circumstances.
Jurors deliberated for roughly 12 hours throughout three days earlier than returning the decision on Tuesday.
His spouse, Nadine Menendez, turned a pivotal participant all through the trial – although Decide Sidney Stein severed her trial from her husband’s after it was revealed she is at present battling breast most cancers.
Her trial is indefinitely delayed in the meanwhile.
Menendez, who as soon as chaired the highly effective Senate Overseas Relations Committee, was charged with 16 counts together with bribery, extortion, corruption, and appearing as a international agent as a public official and extra in September. He pleaded not responsible to all costs.
He’s the primary senator ever to be charged below the appearing as a international agent statute.
“This case has all the time been about stunning ranges of corruption,” US Lawyer Basic for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams stated on Tuesday. “This wasn’t politics as regular, this was politics for revenue.”
Menendez, a three-term Democratic senator, was thrown into one more bribery scheme final yr when prosecutors unveiled the bombshell indictment in opposition to him and his spouse.
The indictment included images of money bribes stuffed into the pockets and sneakers of the Menendez’s private clothes, a Mercedes-Benz convertible parked within the driveway of their residence and costly jewellery stowed in containers.
A lot of Menendez’s protection rested on blaming his spouse for serving because the go-between for the senator, New Jersey businessmen and international officers. His attorneys argued that Nadine harbored lots of the bribes in her private locked closet and didn’t inform her husband of them.
That is the second time Menendez has been prosecuted in a bribery-related scheme. The primary one, which happened in 2015, resulted in a mistrial.
Fred Daibes, the actual property developer, was discovered responsible on seven counts he was indicted with, together with sincere providers wire fraud, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and extra.
Prosecutors stated Daibes gave Menendez gold and money in alternate for interfering with a felony investigation and securing buyers in an Edgewater, New Jersey, improvement mission. Daibes had pleaded not responsible to all costs.
When a reporter requested Daibes how he felt in regards to the verdict on Tuesday, he responded, “Not good.”
Wael Hana, an Egyptian-born American businessman, was additionally discovered responsible on six counts that he was indicted with, together with bribery, sincere providers wire fraud and conspiring for a public official to behave as a international agent.
All through the trial, prosecutors argued Hana gave Menendez gold bars, money and extra with a purpose to safe a profitable cope with Egyptian officers for his halal meat-certifying firm.
Hana then used his firm to funnel bribes to Menendez and his spouse.
Decide Stein set a sentencing date for October 29.
Although Menendez doesn’t should resign, the decision will doubtless add strain on him to step down.
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer referred to as on Menendez to resign moments after the responsible verdict got here down.
“In mild of this responsible verdict, Senator Menendez should now do what is correct for his constituents, the Senate, and our nation, and resign,” Schumer stated.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reiterated his name for Menendez to resign “instantly”, asking the US Senate to vote to expel him if he doesn’t step down.
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