Senator Menendez, Busted With Gold Bars and Wads of Cash, Convicted on All Counts of Corruption

Senator Menendez was convicted on all counts in his high profile corruption trial Tuesday, when the senator was found to have accepted bribes of gold and cash in order to act on behalf of Egypt.Menendez, a three term senator from New Jersey, was found to have used his position to enrich himself and his wife by advancing the interests of the Egyptian government after a nine-week trial at the Southern District of New York.Menendez refused to testify.Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged with crimes related to her and her husband’s activities, though her trial was delayed so she could recover from breast cancer surgery.The verdict also likely eliminates Menendez’s potential to act as a major candidate in the race for his Senate seat. Although Menendez did not receive the Democratic nomination, he did file to run as an independent in New Jersey.Menendez’s case began last year when he was indicted for bribery, though more charges were announced over time resulting in him facing charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy, and extortion, among others.The initial blockbuster indictment against Menendez included photos of gold bars and wads of cash stuffed inside jacket pockets that were found during an FBI search of his house. At trial, Menendez’s attorneys argued that the gold bars belonged to Menendez’s wife.In the case, Menendez was found to have conspired with real estate developer Fred Daibes and businessman Wael Hana, who were also convicted.Hana was granted an exclusive contract to certify halal beef exports from America to Egypt in 2019 despite being a Coptic Christian with no experience in halal certification or Muslim religious rights.Menendez used his position as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to demand that the American government recognize the monopoly granted by the Egyptian government.At the trial, attorneys for both men argued that the gold bars were simply gifts to Menendez, not bribes. The prosecution, in turn, characterized Menendez as a corrupt politician saying at trial that “Friends do not give friends envelopes stuffed with $10,000 in cash, just out of friendship.”“Friends do not give those same friends kilogram bars of gold worth $60,000 each out of the goodness of their hearts,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said at trial.At the trial, the prosecution detailed a scheme that hinged on an agreement between Menendez, the co-defendants, and the Egyptian government in which he would supply non-public information and other assistance to Egypt in exchange for bribes.In one instance, Menendez helped the country secure $300 million in military aid to Egypt, which had been held up in Congress due to concerns about Egypt’s human rights record.Menendez has promised to immediately appeal the decision by the trial court. It’s not yet known whether he will resign his seat in the Senate.

Senator Menendez, Busted With Gold Bars and Wads of Cash, Convicted on All Counts of Corruption

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