By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The money and gold that authorities seized from Bob Menendez weren’t the proceeds of bribes as prosecutors allege, a protection lawyer stated in his closing argument on Tuesday within the once-powerful senator’s corruption trial.
Prosecutors say Menendez accepted a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} of bribes within the type of gold bars, money, and automobile and mortgage funds in change for serving to Egypt safe billions of {dollars} in U.S. army help and aiding the enterprise and authorized pursuits of businessmen who bribed him.
However protection attorneys have argued that Menendez recurrently withdrew money from banks and saved it at his dwelling. In his summation, protection lawyer Adam Charge stated prosecutors targeted on the money and gold as a result of it was provocative, however stated it didn’t show Menendez was corrupt.
“The prosecutors haven’t come near assembly their burden to point out you that any of the gold or money was given to Senator Menendez as a bribe,” Charge stated. “His actions had been lawful, regular and good for his constituents and this nation.”
Menendez, 70, has pleaded not responsible to 16 felony expenses together with bribery, fraud, performing as a overseas agent and obstruction.
All through the eight-week trial in Manhattan federal court docket, his attorneys have sought to shift blame towards the New Jersey Democrat’s spouse Nadine Menendez, arguing the 2 lived largely separate lives and he or she stored him at the hours of darkness about her funds.
They’ve additionally portrayed their shopper’s actions as regular legislative exercise.
Prosecutors have stated Menendez used his spouse as a go-between. She has additionally pleaded not responsible however has been present process therapy for breast most cancers, and might be tried in August.
On the finish of his closing argument on Tuesday, prosecutor Paul Monteleoni stated that by blaming his spouse, Menendez was “making an attempt desperately to move the buck to the folks closest to him.”
The corruption trial is Bob Menendez’s second. A bribery case in opposition to him in New Jersey resulted in a mistrial in 2017.
Whatever the present trial’s consequence, the case has probably ended Bob Menendez’s Senate profession.
The three-term senator resigned as chair of the Senate’s influential overseas relations committee after being charged in September. He has filed to run for re-election to his seat in November as an unbiased, however is taken into account an extended shot.
Prosecutors say Menendez sought to strain prosecutors to put off investigations into Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, two businessmen who had bribed him.
They stated that after Wael Hana, a businessman with ties to Egyptian officers, put Nadine Menendez on his payroll for a “sham job,” Bob Menendez pressed a Division of Agriculture official to cease scrutinizing a halal certification monopoly that Egypt’s authorities had granted to Hana.
Menendez additionally ghostwrote a letter for Egyptian officers to reply to human rights considerations, prosecutors stated.
In his closing argument on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, prosecutor Paul Monteleoni stated Menendez offered his energy and voters’ belief for riches for himself and his spouse.
He additionally stated that by blaming his spouse, Menendez was “making an attempt desperately to move the buck to the folks closest to him.”
Uribe pleaded responsible to bribery for getting Nadine Menendez a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz (OTC:), and testified in opposition to Bob Menendez. Hana and Daibes have pleaded not responsible to corruption expenses.
