U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., arrives at federal court in Fresh York Metropolis for his bribery trial in reference to an alleged terrible relationship with three Fresh Jersey businessmen, Could maybe additionally merely 14, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Sen. Robert Menendez’s partner and co-defendant, Nadine Menendez, used to be hiding her monetary troubles from her husband, a protection felony official for the Fresh Jersey Democrat told jurors Wednesday in his federal corruption trial.
Nadine Menendez “kept Bob sidelined” from her discussions about her cash complications, felony official Avi Weitzman said in a gap assertion that at situations gave the influence to defend the senator by casting blame on his partner.
Weitzman told the jury that gold bars — which were seized in an FBI search of Menendez’s dwelling and held up by prosecutors as proof that he took years of bribes — had been stumbled on in “Nadine’s closet.”
The senator, said Weitzman, had no key to that closet and no recordsdata that his partner had bought any gold bars from Fred Daibes, one in all two businessmen standing trial alongside Menendez in Fresh york federal court.
Moderately, Menendez thought it used to be “family gold,” Weitzman said, as he insisted that the once-much senator “took no bribes.”
The protection felony official addressed the 12-person jury after a federal prosecutor told them that Menendez “build his energy up for sale” and “stale his partner as a plod-between.”
Menendez, 70, used to be “on the take” and “motivated by greed,” U.S. Licensed official Laura Pomerantz said in a gap assertion for the prosecution.
“This used to be now not politics as popular,” Pomerantz said. “This used to be politics for profit.”
Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Daibes and Wael Hana, a 2d Fresh Jersey businessman, are charged in the sprawling case alleging that the senator illegally took many of of thousands of bucks’ price of gold, cash and varied items in alternate for reliable acts.
Menendez, who except the indictment served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relatives Committee, and his partner are accused of the spend of his political energy to strive to enhance the businessmen and profit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The trial for Menendez, Daibes and Hana began Monday. Nadine Menendez’s trial used to be severed from her co-defendants’ on account of scientific points, and would possibly maybe perhaps well well be held at a later date. The senator’s partner has now not appeared with him in court.
A third Fresh Jersey businessman charged in the case, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty in March and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. He’ll testify as a see for the prosecution, Pomerantz told the jury.
The hole statements began Wednesday afternoon, at the moment after prosecutors and protection attorneys selected a chunky jury of six males and six females, plus six alternate jurors.
Make a willpower Sidney Stein pushed aside the the jury after Weitzman’s lengthy introduction, which lasted over an hour. Attorneys for Hana and Daibes are assign to bring their opening statements Thursday.
The trial can also final seven weeks or extra.
Jury different
Sen. Bob Menendez’s partner, Nadine Menendez, departs Fresh york federal court, in Fresh York Metropolis, Oct. 2, 2023.
David Dee Delgado | Getty Images
The 18-person jury used to be chosen unhurried closed doorways, after two plodding trial days passed with out a single juror being seated.
Those days had been largely consumed by a lengthy process of individually questioning anyone who said they’ll also now not attend as a juror.
Dozens of folks in the court had raised their juror cards to potentially disqualify themselves from the trial.
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By Tuesday evening, Stein had whittled down by half of the pool of doubtless jurors, to 75.
Stein then began questioning particular person jurors in commence court about their occupations, households, living eventualities, media habits, leisure pursuits and pursuits.
Fred Daibes arrives at federal court for his bribery trial in reference to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., in Fresh York Metropolis, Could maybe additionally merely 14, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Potential jurors identified themselves easiest by their assigned numbers but every so normally gave highly deepest answers.
One of them, a self-described podcast “junkie,” said she has called into the controversy demonstrate of Fresh York Metropolis public radio vulnerable Brian Lehrer “a million situations.”
“He is aware of my negate,” the girl added.
One other would-be juror told the think that he lives by myself and that his partner and son now not too long ago died.
Wael Hana, a co-defendant of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., arrives at federal court in Fresh York, Could maybe additionally merely 13, 2024.
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A man who works as an felony official for a bank told Stein that he had previously contributed to Menendez’s political campaign.
The donation used to be made after a requirement by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in step with the person, who said he had made “dozens” of same contributions through the years.
AIPAC counseled Menendez in January, two months earlier than the senator announced he would now not enter the Democratic fundamental in a reelection describe but left the door commence to flee as an self sustaining.
Correction: This article has been up in the past to replicate the state spelling of Wael Hana’s title.
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