Senator Bob Menendez was found guilty on all counts Tuesday in his federal corruption trial.
Federal prosecutors in New York accused the New Jersey Democrat of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including cash, gold bars, mortgage payments, and more, in exchange for political favors. The alleged recipients included three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Two co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted on all counts.
The jury deliberated for approximately 13 hours over three days.
"I have never, ever been a foreign agent," Menendez said. Menendez pleaded not guilty to 16 federal charges, including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction. He expressed his intention to appeal the conviction and voiced his disappointment with the jury's decision.
"I have never violated my oath," he stated outside the courthouse on Tuesday. "I have always been a patriot of my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent." Menendez also remarked that the jury's decision could "put at risk every member of the United States Senate in terms of what they think a foreign agent would be."
Menendez did not respond to questions about whether he will resign.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, and he faces decades in prison. Calls for Resignation Although Menendez is not required to resign following his conviction, he could be expelled.
Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for Menendez's resignation immediately after the verdict.
"In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," Schumer said.
Senator Cory Booker, Menendez's New Jersey colleague, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also called for his immediate resignation. Governor Murphy stated that if Menendez refuses to step down, he will urge the U.S. Senate to expel him. The Senate Ethics Committee announced it will "promptly" complete its investigation into Menendez's conduct, initiated when the allegations first surfaced.
The committee will consider the "full range of disciplinary actions available under the Rules of Procedure," which include expulsion and censure.
Shocking Levels of Corruption U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who led the prosecution, described the case as one involving "shocking levels of corruption."
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz. This wasn’t politics as usual; this was politics for profit," Williams stated. "With Senator Menendez found guilty, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally ended. Corruption erodes public trust and undermines the rule of law, which is why we are committed to fighting it, regardless of political party."
Prosecutors alleged that Menendez, 70, "put his power up for sale" in exchange for gold, envelopes of money, checks to his wife for a no-show job, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. The FBI discovered gold bars and over $400,000 in cash hidden in various places, including jackets and shoes, throughout his home.
"It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington," federal prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said during his closing argument on July 8. "Robert Menendez wanted all that power and also wanted to use it to amass riches for himself and his wife."
