Bob Menendez Bribery Trial: Opening Arguments Start Amid Allegations of Affect-Peddling

NEW YORK – New Jersey senator’s bribery trial Bob Menendez Opening arguments are scheduled to start Wednesday as prosecutors attempt to persuade jurors that the longtime Democrat was keen to promote his affect to learn three businessmen in trade for cash, gold bars and automobile luxurious.

The three-term senator has maintained since his arrest within the fall that he’s not responsible of utilizing affect to assist three New Jersey businessmen, giving his – in by giving favors to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

Prosecutors say the boys gave Menendez and his spouse items to verify Menendez would assist them.

Menendez, 70, is on trial in Manhattan federal courtroom with two of the businessmen. A 3rd pleaded responsible and agreed to testify in opposition to the opposite defendants. Menendez’s spouse is scheduled to go to trial in July.

For the senator, the trial represents the second time he has been criminally charged in federal courtroom previously ten years.

In 2017, a federal jury dismissed corruption costs introduced in New Jersey and prosecutors didn’t search a retrial.

These allegations have been unrelated to the present indictment of Menendez, who held a robust position as chairman of the Senate International Relations Committee earlier than being compelled out of workplace after the brand new allegations have been revealed in final fall

Choose Sidney H. Stein stated Tuesday night time that he hoped a jury could be impaneled no later than mid-morning Wednesday. Opening arguments will start quickly after.

Menendez is being tried by Fred Daibes, an actual property developer in New Jersey, and businessman Wael Hana. They’ve all pleaded not responsible.

The lawsuit alleges that Daibes gave Menendez and his spouse gold bars and money in order that the grandfather would assist him safe a multimillion-dollar cope with a Qatari funding fund working in a way that in favor of the Qatari authorities.

The indictment additionally alleges that Menendez did issues that benefited Egyptian officers in trade for bribes from Hana whereas the businessman acquired a profitable contract with the Egyptian authorities to show that meat taken in assembly Islamic dietary necessities.

Menéndez has stated he is not going to search re-election on the Democratic ticket this fall, though he has not dominated out operating as an impartial.