US Senator Bob Menendez was found guilty on Tuesday of all 16 charges against him in his corruption trial at a federal court in Manhattan. This marks a major downfall for the once-powerful Democrat from New Jersey.
After nine weeks of trial and more than 12 hours of deliberation over three days, the jury delivered its verdict. Menendez, aged 70, had pleaded not guilty to charges including bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstructing justice.
The case focused on what prosecutors described as several bribery schemes. They said Menendez and his wife Nadine accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, car payments, and mortgage payments from three businessmen seeking his assistance. In return for these bribes, Menendez allegedly helped direct billions of dollars in American aid to Egypt, where one of the businessmen, Wael Hana, had connections with government officials.
This verdict marks a significant legal and political setback for Senator Menendez, whose career now faces serious challenges following this conviction.
