Posted on 05/15/2024 3:31:54 PM PDT by RandFan
Opening statements began on Wednesday afternoon in the corruption trial of Senator Robert Menendez, a powerful New Jersey Democrat accused of selling out his public office and his country in pursuit of lucrative bribes.
The case has already dealt a near-lethal blow to Mr. Menendez’s four-decade political career. But a jury of a dozen citizens sworn in earlier Wednesday has now begun formally weighing his fate under intense scrutiny.
In her opening statement, Lara Pomerantz, an assistant U.S. attorney, used short sentences and relatable language to guide jurors through the complicated framework of the bribery charges against Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.
She accused Mr. Menendez of being as corrupt as he was powerful.
“This was not politics as usual,” Ms. Pomerantz said of Mr. Menendez, a Democrat who until last year led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “This was politics for profit. This was a United States senator on the take.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Menendez was ‘doing his job,’ his lawyer says.
When Senator Robert Menendez reached out to the New Jersey attorney general about an investigation into Latino truckers, he was looking into concerns of discrimination, his lawyer, Avi Weitzman, said.
When he pressed for Egypt to get additional aid and weapons from the United States, he was engaging in diplomacy, Mr. Weitzman said.
And when a real estate developer, Fred Daibes, asked for help with a stalled project, the senator acted on behalf of a constituent, Mr. Weitzman said during opening statements on Wednesday at the beginning of the New Jersey Democrat’s corruption trial.
“In short, the evidence will show Bob was doing his job and he was doing it right,” Mr. Weitzman told the jury.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/15/nyregion/bob-menendez-trial
“Robert Menendez ‘Put His Power Up For Sale,’ Prosecutors Say In Senator’s Trial”
These boys need to raise their sights a little.
... The charges are among the most serious ever brought against a sitting U.S. senator. The government has accused Mr. Menendez and his wife of conspiring to trade his “influence and power” as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to foreign powers and New Jersey businessmen in exchange for a Mercedes-Benz convertible, mortgage payments, gold and cash.
Mr. Menendez, 70, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, some of which carry up to 20 years in prison.
He is being tried alongside two of the businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. Ms. Menendez, 57, will be tried in July.
The case has already made history. Mr. Menendez is the first senator ever indicted under the foreign agent statute, and the first in the Senate’s 235-year history to be indicted twice in separate bribery cases. His first prosecution ended in a mistrial in 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/15/nyregion/bob-menendez-trial
Another example of the structurally racist feds going after an innocent Hispanic man. /s
Menendez must have really, really pissed off Biden (or Bident’s handlers) to get treated by the DOJ as if he were a Republican.
He didn’t give them a cut, maybe?
I don’t understand why the DoJ is going after a reliable Rat who is no worse than the rest of them. Did he stiff the Big Guy out of his 10%?
“Robert Menendez ‘Put His Power Up For Sale,”
How is this any difference from Biden and Hillary?
He was cheaper than Biden and Hillary.
They had the same exact business scheme.
Too bad the jury is for sale as well.
They raided him and found his stash of gold and cash... He wasn’t kicking up the full %
Greed wins in the end doesn’t it ..
I can say that crooked Menendez aint giving up
Driving down Route 1/9 toward Jersey City the entire side of the road is cover in Menendez signs for the upcoming primary
That is interesting I thought he was going independent
He was just following Billary, Inc. and Joe Biden.
I’m surprised that Jao bXiden is not standing in solidarity with his long time comrade.
I’m surprised that Jao BiXiden is not standing in solidarity with his long time comrade.
Uuhh. Sounds a whole lot what the Biden crime family was/is involved with.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.