Jury selection began in the federal corruption trial of Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey. He is charged with accepting cash and gold bars in exchange for political favors at home and abroad. No jurors were selected on the first day, with the trial expected to last until around the Fourth of July. Menendez, along with two New Jersey businessmen, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The jurors will be from Manhattan, the Bronx, or counties north of New York City.
Reporters and potential jurors lined up outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan early in the morning. Menendez arrived wearing a dark blue suit and a Senate pin on his lapel. He appeared relaxed as he faced prospective jurors in a wood-paneled courtroom. The judge dismissed roughly three dozen potential jurors after initial screening, with questioning expected to continue on the following day. Menendez has expressed confidence in being exonerated and has not ruled out running for re-election in November.
Menendez, along with his wife, was charged in a bribery scheme lasting nearly five years. He is accused of using his position to benefit Egypt, helping a company win a monopoly, and interfering in criminal investigations in New Jersey in exchange for various gifts including a Mercedes-Benz, cash, and gold bars. His wife will be tried separately due to a recently diagnosed medical condition. The potential jurors were thanked by Judge Stein and informed about the importance of their service in upholding the tradition of trial by jury as a pillar of liberty.
The trial is expected to last six or seven weeks, with the possibility of running longer. A jury consultant was seen at the defense table, indicating the seriousness of the trial. This is not the first time Menendez has faced public corruption charges. An earlier trial in New Jersey ended with a hung jury in November 2017, leading to the dismissal of some charges and the rest being dropped in January 2018. The current trial is a continuation of the legal battle surrounding Menendez’s alleged corrupt activities.
Overall, the corruption trial of Senator Robert Menendez began with jury selection in Manhattan. Menendez and two businessmen are accused of engaging in bribery schemes in exchange for political favors. Menendez is confident in his exoneration and has not ruled out running for re-election. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with potential jurors being informed of the importance of their service to uphold the tradition of trial by jury. Menendez’s past legal troubles and the involvement of a jury consultant in the current trial underscore the seriousness of the allegations against him.
