U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, who made headlines after his arraignment on corruption charges at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on September 28, 2023, will now face trial along with his wife Nadine. The federal judge has set the date for the trial to begin on May 6, 2024.
Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting numerous bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. These bribes were allegedly given in exchange for Menendez’s official actions on behalf of three business associates in New Jersey. The bribes reportedly included cash, gold, payments towards their home mortgage, compensation for Nadine’s low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other valuable items, according to the federal indictment.
The trial will take place in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where Menendez, his wife, and the three businessmen will face multiple charges. The couple is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. The three businessmen are charged with the first two counts.
Despite the allegations, Menendez maintains his innocence and has refused to resign, despite calls from more than half of the Democratic Senate caucus. He accuses prosecutors of distorting the normal operations of a congressional office and claims that the accusations are an attack on his wife’s longstanding friendships.
The indictment alleges that Menendez, during his tenure as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, used his position to benefit the three business associates and shared sensitive U.S. government information with them. It further claims that he took actions to support the government of Egypt in exchange for bribes.
During the court proceedings on Monday, prosecutors revealed that the case involved classified information, and preparations were underway to appoint a classified information security officer. They also disclosed that their case would rely on evidence from 50 electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and computers, all of which were obtained through search warrants.
In June 2022, the FBI conducted a raid on Menendez’s home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and seized $480,000 in cash. Prosecutors allege that they found some of the money stuffed into coat pockets, with the businessmen’s fingerprints still on the envelopes.
Speaking at a press conference in New York City on September 22, 2023, Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the corruption charges against Senator Robert Menendez.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld | Getty Images
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
