Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty in corruption trial

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was found guilty on Tuesday of federal bribery charges accusing him of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes in exchange for wielding his influence to benefit foreign governments and a trio of businessmen, per multiple outlets.

Why it matters: Menendez — who filed to run for re-election last month — now faces possible expulsion from the Senate as well as decades in prison.

The big picture: Menendez was found guilty on all 16 felony counts to which he had pleaded not guilty.

• He and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were initially indicted last September alongside New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes.
• Prosecutors accused the senator of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes” — including in gold bars — while using his position to enrich the co-conspirators as well as the government of Egypt.

What they’re saying: Menendez told reporters Tuesday that he was “deeply disappointed” by his conviction and that he was confident his legal team would successfully appeal it.

• “I have never, ever been a foreign agent,” Menendez said, adding that the jury’s decision “put at risk every member of the United States Senate, in terms of what they think a foreign agent would be.”

What’s next: Menendez is set to be sentenced on Oct. 29, just a week before the November election, Reuters reported.

• Shortly after the verdict, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Menendez to “do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.
• Menendez’s lawyer did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.

Zoom in: A superseding indictment in October charged Menendez with conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt.

• In January, another superseding indictment accused him of accepting bribes from Daibes in exchange for helping the government of Qatar.

• In March, a third superseding indictment charged him with obstruction of justice.

State of play: Even before the verdict, the trial had already tarnished Menendez’s career, costing him the support of fellow Democrats as well as the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee.

• Menendez is currently running for re-election as an independent.

Zoom out: Menendez was tried alongside businessmen Hana and Daibes, both of whom were also found guilty on all counts they faced, per CNN.

• Uribe pleaded guilty in March and testified against the defendants.
• Nadine Menendez’s trial has been indefinitely postponed as she undergoes cancer treatment.

Flashback: Menendez was previously indicted on unrelated federal bribery and corruption charges in 2015. The case ultimately ended in a mistrial in 2017.   Read More