NEW YORK — A New York City jury has found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty of bribery, wire fraud and extortion.
The senator faced 16 charges on 18 counts in the federal corruption case, with the jury beginning deliberations on Friday, The Associated Press reported.
Menendez was found guilty of the following, according to The New York Times:
- Count 1: Conspiracy to Commit Bribery
- Count 2 - Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud
- Count 3 - Conspiracy to Commit Extortion
- Count 4 - Conspiracy Obstruction of Justice
- Count 5 - Bribery
- Count 7 - Honest Services Wire Fraud
- Count 8 - Extortion
- Count 9 - Honest Services Wire Fraud
- Count 10 - Extortion
- Count 11 - Bribery
- Count 13 - Honest Services Wire Fraud
- Count 14 - Extortion
- Count 15 - Conspiracy for a Public Official to Act as a Foreign Agent
- Count 16 - Public Official Acting as a Foreign Agent
- Count 17 - Conspiracy to Commit Obstruction of Justice
- Count 18 - Obstruction of Justice
His co-defendants — Wael Hana and Fred Daibes — were also found guilty of an additional charge each. CNN and The New York Times reported.
In addition to the 16 charges Menendez was found guilty of, Count 6 a bribery charge involves Hana and Egypt while Count 12 involves bribery that benefitted Daibes and Qatar, The New York Times reported.
The 70-year-old senator from New Jersey is accused of accepting bribes from 2018 to 2023 to help three New Jersey businessmen and serving as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
The three-term senator and the men who allegedly paid him in gold and cash have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said that nearly $150,000 worth of gold bars and more than $480,000 in cash were seized from his home in a 2022 FBI raid.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, is a co-defendant in the case but her trial has been delayed indefinitely due to undergoing cancer treatments, NBC News reported.
The senator’s lawyers said he did not accept bribes and the influence he used to help the businessmen was what is expected of a public official. He helped get $99 million of helicopter ammunition to Egypt. He said that the communication he had with the foreign government was part of his job as a senator and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position he no longer holds due to the charges he faced.
Menedez is running for reelection as an independent. He was last elected as a Democrat. He is still a sitting senator and despite calls to resign, the conviction does not require him to. He could be subject to an expulsion vote, The New York Times reported.
The extortion and wire fraud charges had a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count, he could have a maximum of 222 years in prison if the sentences are served consecutively, but typically they are ordered to be run concurrently, CNN reported.
Sentencing is scheduled for October.
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