NEW YORK — Prosecutors rested on Friday after presenting evidence for seven weeks at the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, enabling the Democrat and two New Jersey businessmen to begin calling their own witnesses next week to support defense claims that no crimes were committed and no bribes were paid.
Before resting, prosecutors elicited details about the senator’s financial records by questioning an FBI forensic accountant.
Prosecutors say gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash found in a 2022 raid of Menendez’s home were bribes paid by three businessmen from 2018 to 2022 in return for favors Menendez used his political power to carry out on their behalf.
Defense lawyers claim the gold belonged to his wife and that Menendez had a habit of storing cash at home after his family lost almost everything in Cuba before they moved to New York, where Menendez was born.
Menendez, 70, is on trial with two of the businessmen after a third pleaded guilty in a cooperation deal with the government and testified at the trial. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, is also charged in the case, which was unveiled last fall. Her trial has been postponed while she recovers from breast cancer surgery. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Menendez’s lawyers are planning to spend up to three days presenting testimony from several witnesses to support their argument that Nadine Arslanian kept Menendez in the dark about her financial troubles after she began dating him in early 2018.
They also plan to introduce testimony to try to show that Arslanian, who married Menendez in fall 2020, was in close contact with Menendez at the height of the alleged conspiracy in late 2018 and early 2019 because she was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend.
Judge Sidney H. Stein ruled on Wednesday that defense lawyers can elicit testimony to counter evidence introduced by prosecutors that might otherwise be interpreted to suggest that Nadine Arslanian and Menendez seemed to be closely following each other’s whereabouts because they were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
But he said he wouldn’t allow the jury to hear any evidence suggesting that she ended up in the hospital at one point as a result of an abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend.
“This is not going to be ‘Days of Our Lives’ or some soap opera,” the judge warned lawyers.
After seven weeks of presenting evidence and calling witnesses, prosecutors have concluded their case in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez. The trial, which has been closely watched by political observers and the public, centers around allegations that the New Jersey Democrat accepted gifts and campaign contributions from a wealthy donor in exchange for political favors.
The prosecution’s case against Menendez has been built on a series of witnesses who have testified to the senator’s close relationship with Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist and political donor. Prosecutors have argued that Menendez used his position as a senator to intervene on behalf of Melgen in a Medicare billing dispute, as well as in a contract dispute involving a port security company that Melgen owned.
In addition to witness testimony, prosecutors have presented emails, financial records, and other evidence to support their case against Menendez. They have also highlighted the senator’s failure to disclose gifts and trips provided by Melgen on his Senate financial disclosure forms.
Menendez has denied any wrongdoing and has maintained his innocence throughout the trial. His defense team is expected to begin presenting their case next week, with the senator himself potentially taking the stand to testify in his own defense.
The outcome of the trial could have significant implications for Menendez’s political future, as well as for the balance of power in the Senate. If convicted, Menendez could face expulsion from the Senate, as well as potential prison time. However, if he is acquitted, he could potentially return to his role as a powerful lawmaker in Washington.
As the trial moves into its next phase, all eyes will be on the defense team as they seek to rebut the prosecution’s case and convince the jury of Menendez’s innocence. The outcome of the trial remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the stakes are high for Sen. Bob Menendez as he fights to clear his name and preserve his political career.
