Federal prosecutors have been accused of diverting attention from the “painfully thin” evidence against Sen. Bob Menendez by focusing on the gold bars and cash found in his New Jersey home, according to defense attorneys. During a lengthy closing statement in Manhattan federal court, lawyer Adam Fee argued that the government had failed to prove that Menendez rewarded cronies with “official” favors in exchange for bribes. Fee called the core of the case “hollow” and criticized the prosecutors for being “overzealous” and presenting unreliable inferences to the jury.
Throughout the nine-week trial, jurors were presented with evidence linking large sums of money, including gold bullion and a luxury car, to Menendez and his associates. The cash was found stuffed into envelopes, including inside the pockets of the senator’s official congressional jacket, while one-kilo gold bars were recovered from his wife’s safe. However, Fee contended that the government had not shown that these items were illegal bribes.
Menendez faces multiple charges, including acting as a foreign agent of Egypt and Qatar, obstructing justice, and using his influence as head of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee to enrich and protect those who sent him gifts. Prosecutors argued that Menendez used his position to secure a monopoly on approving halal meat exports to Egypt for his co-defendant Wael Hana in exchange for a no-show job for Menendez’s wife worth $120,000 per year. However, Hana’s lawyer denied that his client’s actions constituted an “official” act, instead attributing his success to hard work and good contacts.
The trial is nearing its end, with jurors expected to begin deliberations soon. Menendez could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the top counts. Despite the legal challenges he’s faced, Menendez has maintained his innocence and plans to run for re-election as an independent after losing in the Democratic primary earlier this year.
