Jury choice begins in trial accusing high Democrat of accepting bribes and appearing as unregistered overseas agent.
Jury choice has begun within the corruption trial of Bob Menendez, a high United States senator who’s accused of accepting bribes in alternate for a spread of favours and appearing as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian authorities.
Menendez, 70, faces 16 legal prices and is being tried alongside two New Jersey businessmen in Manhattan federal courtroom.
Menendez sat together with his legal professionals on Monday and listened as Decide Sidney H Stein advised a number of dozen potential jurors concerning the prices.
The decide advised them the “sitting US senator from the state of New Jersey” had been charged in a conspiracy by which he allegedly “agreed to simply accept bribes and accepted bribes”.
Menendez’s spouse, Nadine, has additionally been charged however can be tried individually. All 4 defendants have pleaded not responsible.
In September, prosecutors accused Menendez and his spouse of accepting money, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible in alternate for the senator wielding his political affect in New Jersey and serving to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Authorities stated Menendez promised to assist Egypt get hold of arms gross sales and different navy support, and helped co-defendant Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, get hold of a profitable monopoly on the certification of halal meat exports to Egypt.
Prosecutors additionally stated Menendez tried to assist his different co-defendant, outstanding New Jersey developer Fred Daibes, get hold of tens of millions of {dollars} from a Qatari funding fund, and sought to disrupt a federal legal case towards Daibes in New Jersey.
A lot of the money obtained by the couple was stuffed inside clothes at their dwelling, prosecutors stated.
Just a few weeks after the preliminary indictment was unsealed, US authorities in October additionally charged Menendez – who beforehand chaired the influential Senate Overseas Affairs Committee – with serving as an unregistered agent of Egypt.
Chatting with reporters in late September, Menendez stated he was assured he can be exonerated within the case and would proceed his political profession.
“I firmly imagine that when all of the info are introduced, not solely will I be exonerated, however I nonetheless can be New Jersey’s senior senator,” he stated.
He additionally sought to defend his file on Egypt.
“All through my 30 years within the Home of Representatives and the Senate, I’ve all the time labored to carry accountable these nations together with Egypt for human rights abuses, the repression of its citizenry, civil society, and extra,” he advised reporters on the time.
Menendez is up for re-election in November and has stated he may run as an impartial if he’s exonerated within the legal case.
However current polls present he’s deeply unpopular amongst New Jersey voters and lots of Democratic Social gathering senators, together with New Jersey’s Cory Booker, have known as for him to resign.
Fewer than one in six voters polled in March by Monmouth College and Emerson Faculty Polling/PIX11/The Hill stated they accredited of Menendez’s job efficiency. Even fewer stated they might vote for him as an impartial.
That is Menendez’s second legal trial: In 2017, a New Jersey federal decide declared a mistrial after jurors deadlocked on whether or not he broke the legislation by offering assist to a rich ophthalmologist in alternate for lavish items and political contributions.