The New Jersey Democrat and his spouse, Nadine Menendez — each who’ve pleaded not responsible — are accused of taking lots of of hundreds of {dollars} in money, gold and different bribes in alternate for political favors.
Menendez’s attorneys indicated final week that the senator’s sister and his spouse’s sister could be among the many first witnesses to testify on his behalf.
It’s unclear if Menendez or the 2 businessmen on trial with him will testify in their very own protection. The businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, have additionally pleaded not responsible.
Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed till later this summer time whereas she recovers from breast most cancers surgical procedure.
Throughout the final seven weeks, the senator’s attorneys have sought to undermine the credibility of presidency witnesses, attempting to sow doubt about how a lot Menendez knew about what prosecutors say was a sprawling scheme that started in 2018.
Menendez is accused of utilizing his affect because the then-chairman of the highly effective Senate Foreign Relations Committee to secretly profit Egypt; pressuring a U.S. Department of Agriculture official to guard a halal certification monopoly Egypt granted to Hana; and interfering in prison instances in New Jersey involving Daibes and one other businessman Jose Uribe.
Uribe, a former insurance coverage dealer, pleaded responsible to attempting to bribe the senator and was the federal government’s star witness, testifying that he purchased a Mercedes-Benz convertible for Menendez’s spouse in alternate for the senator’s “energy and affect” to cease investigations associated to his enterprise associates.
Uribe informed jurors that he had a number of conversations with Menendez concerning the investigations, however they by no means mentioned the automobile or the way it was paid for. He stated he assumed the senator’s spouse had stored him knowledgeable of the deal.
Prosecutors have alleged the senator used his spouse as a go-between for the bribes.
But Menendez’s attorneys have insisted that Nadine Menendez stored him at midnight about her actions, telling jurors that he had no key to her locked closet the place gold bars and among the money was discovered of their Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, dwelling throughout an FBI search in June 2022. Menendez, who moved into his spouse’s longtime dwelling, was additionally unaware that she was struggling financially, in keeping with his attorneys.
Prosecutors asserted that it is inaccurate to painting the senator and his spouse as dwelling separate lives, introducing proof that confirmed Menendez recurrently checked in on her location utilizing the “Find My Friends” iPhone app, in addition to textual content messages about Nadine Menendez operating errands for the senator and doing laundry.
After jurors had been dismissed for the day on Thursday, prosecutors and protection attorneys argued to the choose about whether or not particulars from Nadine Menendez’s relationship with an ex-boyfriend might be utilized in courtroom.
The senator’s attorneys stated the connection was abusive and making jurors conscious of that would supply context to among the proof they’ve already seen. But the choose stated he would restrict what they will hear.
“There might be some proof that there was a problem with a boyfriend regarding bodily security,” U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein informed attorneys, including “this isn’t going to show right into a cleaning soap opera.” Stein indicated he would enable Menendez’s attorneys to determine there was an ex-boyfriend and Nadine Menendez “was involved concerning the ex-boyfriend, that was the explanation they received this telephone,” the one which Sen. Menendez was utilizing to examine on her location.
In May, Stein dominated {that a} psychiatrist who evaluated Menendez wouldn’t be allowed to testify about “two vital traumatic occasions” in his life that his attorneys say clarify the lots of of hundreds in money investigators present in his dwelling. Stein stated he would enable restricted testimony from a licensed public accountant concerning the senator’s monetary data.
