Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman and New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who was on trial in the US on bribery and corruption charges, has been found guilty by a jury. The verdict was announced after a nine-week trial in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. The jury found Menendez guilty of all 16 counts, including accepting a bribe, obstructing justice by pressing an investigation into him, and engaging in activities for a foreign country. Menendez could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the counts he was found guilty of.
The 70-year-old Senator was brought before a judge on 16 separate charges. Menendez denied all the charges against him and claimed he was innocent.
Bribery Investigation into Menendez and His Wife
The 39-page indictment, first filed in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York on September 22, 2023, defendant Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine (Arslanian) Menendez, of involvement in a large-scale bribery scheme in exchange for political favors In addition to the gold bars and hidden cash found in the search of his home, Menendez’s influence on official aid to Egypt, especially during his time as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has a say in military aid to be provided to foreign countries in Congress, and his relationships with Egyptian-origin business people and companies in New Jersey, were highlighted in the indictment.
Menendez, who was forced to resign from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the day after the accusations, stated that he would not resign from his seat in Congress, resisting pressure from his party and the public.
The initial indictment against Menendez was later expanded, charging him with using his political position to gain benefits for Qatar.
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, is known in the US Congress for his anti-Turkey stance and his closeness to the Greek and Armenian lobbies. Menendez was among those who opposed the sale of F-16s from the US to Turkey, and he always brought up his discomfort with Turkey’s policies in the Mediterranean and the Aegean.
