New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has been found guilty on 16 counts tied to a scheme where he accepted bribes, including gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for helping foreign governments.
Menendez – formerly the head of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee – now faces the prospect of decades in prison and possible expulsion from the Democratic party.
He had maintained he was not guilty throughout the eight-week trial, with his lawyers arguing that the gifts he accepted did not qualify as bribes, because prosecutors had failed to prove that he took any specific action as a result of receiving them.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, also faces charges in the bribery case, but her trial was delayed so she could undergo breast cancer treatment. She has pleaded not guilty.
His lawyers had attempted to shift blame to Mrs Menendez, portraying her as a financially troubled individual who hoped to “get cash and assets any way she could”.
A jury convicted Menendez of all charges after more than 12 hours of deliberating over three days. The trial lasted nine weeks.
Two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, are also being tried, on accusations that they sought out the senator to illegally aid the Egyptian government and secure millions of dollars from a Qatari investment fund.
A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified against Mr Menendez in the trial.
During trial, prosecutors relied on expert testimony, emails and Mr Menendez’s text messages to show that the senator accepted lavish rewards from foreign governments.
They said the gifts included gold bars worth over $100,000 (£79,000).
Menendez is currently running as an independent, hoping to keep his seat in November’s election, after most Democrats in the state walked away from him when the indictment showing gold bars stashed in his home was released late last year.
The senator has faced federal corruption charges before. He was tried in 2017, with the justice department alleging he did political favours for a wealthy Florida eye doctor in exchange for luxury holidays and other lavish gifts.
But that case ended in a mistrial after he was acquitted on some charges and jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
By BBC News
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