According to Fox News, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey was found guilty on Tuesday of federal corruption and bribery charges.
A jury found Menendez guilty on all counts of participating in a bribery and corruption plot with three New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government after he was charged on March 5.
The indictment was filed in response to an investigation and search of his New Jersey home, at which time investigators discovered over $480,000 in cash stashed about the premises, a fancy car that the businessmen had bought for his wife, and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars.
On Tuesday, Menendez expressed to reporters his “deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision” and his confidence that his legal team would prevail in the appeal.
“I have never been anything but a patriot of my country, and I have never, ever been a foreign agent,” Menendez said to reporters. Menendez maintains his stance on his innocence, but a number of well-known Democrats have demanded that he step down.
“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said in a post on X.
The trial of his spouse, Nadine Menendez, who was also prosecuted and indicted with her husband, has been postponed indefinitely.
“I reiterate my call for Senator Menendez to resign immediately after being found guilty of endangering national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy posted on on X. “If he refuses to vacate his office, I call on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel him. In the event of a vacancy, I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve.”
Throughout his career, Menendez had been the subject of multiple indictments and investigations before his most recent one.
Politico reported in 2006 that Menendez was the subject of an inquiry by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie for what appeared to be assistance in obtaining federal funding for a non-profit organization that concurrently paid Menendez roughly $300,000 in rent over a nine-year period. 2011 saw the prosecution close the case without filing any charges.
According to The Star-Ledger, one of Mendez’s campaign donors, Joseph Bigica, admitted guilt a year later in 2012 to giving the senator a second term in exchange for over $100,000 in illicit contributions. The campaign promised to transfer the donations to charitable groups and denied any wrongdoing.
An investigation revealed that Menendez had previously accepted $1 million in opulent trips, gifts, and campaign contributions from Salomon Melgen, a longtime friend and donor, in exchange for approving visa applications for Melvin’s girlfriends and exerting influence over Medicare billing disputes valued at roughly $8.9 million. Menendez was also previously charged in 2015 for conspiracy, bribery, and honest services fraud. Menendez maintained that they were only presents from a close friend, and the unresolved jury decision led to a mistrial, with the eventual result being an acquittal in November 2017.
“The conviction of Sen. Menendez in Washington is monumental. He was one of the untouchables,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley posted on X. “Despite long being viewed as corrupt, Menendez wielded power with abandon for his own benefit.” He added.
Menendez chose to continue running for the senate seat from New Jersey despite his past legal troubles. He declared on March 21 that he would not be running as a Democrat. On June 3, he formally filed as an independent. Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat, and Curtis Bashaw, a Republican, are Menendez’s opponents.
“Our public servants should work for the people, and today we saw the people judge Senator Menendez as guilty and unfit to serve,” Kim posted X. “I called on Senator Menendez to step down when these charges were first made public, and now that he has been found guilty, I believe the only course of action for him is to resign his seat immediately.”
