Free Republic

NEW YORK — Sen. Bob Menendez’s legal team tried Wednesday to unring a bell — literally. The government’s star witness had testified in the trial that Menendez used a bell to summon his wife to help in a conversation that involved bribery. Menendez’s defense attorney asked repeated questions about the bell, trying to fight back against the damning account. The witness, Jose Uribe, a New Jersey trucking and insurance industry figure, has pleaded guilty to bribing the senator and his wife, Nadine, in order to disrupt a state investigation circling his business. Nadine Menendez will stand trial separately following a...

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on Saturday became the first Democratic senator to call for the resignation of colleague Bob Menendez (D-NJ). In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Fetterman wrote that while Menendez is "entitled to the presumption of innocence" in the federal corruption case against him, he "cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. "I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial," Fetterman added. Menendez was indicted Friday on charges including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and...