Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted Tuesday of peddling his office’s power in exchange for gold bars, cash and a convertible, a likely death blow to the longtime New Jersey lawmaker’s political career.
A New York federal jury found the Democratic senator guilty of all 16 criminal counts he faced, including bribery, fraud and illegal foreign-agent offenses.
Federal prosecutors charged him with pocketing bribes in exchange for taking official actions to benefit three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. During the nearly two-month trial, prosecution witnesses, including one of the businessmen who cooperated, painted a damning portrait of a crooked politician who hashed out illegal deals over cigars, ritzy dinners and bottles of wine. Jurors also got to hold a gold bar that prosecutors said was a bribe.
The conviction all but ends the political future of Menendez, 70 years old, who could face more than a decade in prison. The senator, who stepped down as the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee when he was indicted, had refused to resign from office, despite calls to do so from some Democratic peers. While Menendez recently filed to run for re-election as an independent, the Democratic party is backing another candidate in the race for his seat.
Menendez, who spent over 50 years as a public servant, previously beat corruption charges in a separate case that the Justice Department brought nearly a decade ago. In the latest case, he faced a trial outside his home state.
