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For months, the New Jersey senator has been facing trial for conspiracy to commit bribery, accused of trading political power for wads of cash, a luxury car, and gold bars.<\/p>\n
A 12-member jury on Tuesday found Senator Bob Menendez<\/strong>, 70, guilty on all 16 counts in his federal corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.<\/p>\n \u201cI am deeply, deeply disappointed by the jury\u2019s decision. I have every faith that the law and the facts will not sustain that decision and that we will be successful upon appeal,\u201d Menendez told reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday. \u201cI have never violated my public oath.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosecutors said the New Jersey lawmaker abused the power of his office to protect allies from criminal investigations and enrich associates, including his wife, Nadine Menendez<\/strong>. This involved acts such as meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials and helping the country access millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout this trial, you have heard that everyone is to blame but Menendez,\u201d prosecutor Paul Monteleoni<\/strong> said, accusing the once highly influential senator of \u201ctrying desperately to pass the buck.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of a nearly six-hour closing statement delivered over two days, the prosecutor repeated the phrase \u201cblaming his wife\u201d five times to remind jurors that Menendez\u2019s lawyers have claimed that Nadine \u201csidelined\u201d him from the scheme and stashed the gold bars in her safe without his knowledge.<\/p>\n Menendez, who faces sentencing on October 29, maintained that he has never been anything \u201cbut a patriot of my country and for my country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have never, ever been a foreign agent, and the decision rendered by the jury today would put at risk every member of the US Senate in terms of what they think a foreign agent would be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n “His years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end.”<\/p>\n New York U.S. Attorney Damian Williams speaks after Sen. Bob Menendez is found guilty on all counts in corruption trial. pic.twitter.com\/cdrqyr6kbi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Menendez was seeking reelection to the Senate as an independent, although the guilty verdicts quickly raised the prospect of an expulsion vote unless he opts to resign from office. He has already faced calls to resign from his former Democratic allies in New Jersey and on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer<\/strong> <\/a>released a statement saying, \u201cSenator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.\u201d<\/p>\n Democratic Senator Jack Reed<\/strong> said on X<\/a>, \u201cHe had his day in court and got a fair trial. The jury has spoken. Senator Menendez has been found guilty and should resign.\u201d<\/p>\n New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy\u00a0<\/strong>shared on X<\/a>, \u201cToday\u2019s verdict[\u2026]<\/span>demonstrates that the Senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office. In America, everyone \u2013 no matter how powerful \u2013 is accountable to our laws.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The calls for his resignation are the latest in a series of similar appeals, dating back to 2017 when Menendez faced a separate set of corruption charges.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n