(Photo : Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) questions former Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD) during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on November 02, 2023 in Washington, DC. Menendez is currently facing federal corruption charges after he allegedly traded influence for gold bars and cash.
Jury selection in New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez's federal corruption trial is scheduled to begin, on Monday - with prosecutors alleging that the embattled Democrat was bribed with gold bars and luxury vehicles to give influence to foreign officials.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez, 70, conspired with the Egyptian government and a group of New Jersey businessmen, to enrich all involved parties while also increasing Cairo's influence in Washington, D.C. The senator remains in office, even though many officials - most vocally Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman - have called on him to step down.
This is not Menendez's first brush with legal trouble. In 2015, he was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and making false statements. The case ended in a mistrial and all charges were dropped, however, the Senate Ethics Committee "severely admonished" Menendez for his actions.
Menendez's wife, Nadine, is also facing criminal charges but will not appear in court until later this summer due to medical issues.
The senator maintains his innocence - even speaking about mounting a reelection campaign this summer. But many experts believe that regardless of the outcome of the trial, the damage to his reputation is too great to come back from.
"The evidence against him is vivid," said Dan Cassino, executive director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, according to the Associated Press. "This isn't paperwork or checks: it's gold bars. The images are powerful, and given that New Jersey voters typically don't know a lot about the officials representing them, this might be the one thing they know about Menendez."
The senator is expected to deploy an array of legal strategies to beat the charges - including making the argument that he stored large quantities of cash in his home due to a "fear of scarcity" brought on by his family's experiences in Cuba. He has also reportedly attempted to shift responsibility to his wife while arguing that he was ignorant of her actions.
"I am innocent and will prove it no matter how many charges they continue to pile on," he said in March, after being charged with obstructing this investigation into his alleged criminal activities.
