Senator Bob Menendez’s lawyer tells jury prosecutors failed to prove a single count in bribery trial

Senator Bob Menendez’s lawyer urged jurors Tuesday to acquit him of all charges brought by the New Jersey Democrat. corruption trialsaying federal prosecutors failed to prove a single charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defense lawyer Adam Fee told the jury in Manhattan federal court that there were too many gaps in the evidence that prosecutors wanted jurors to fill in on their own to conclude that crimes were committed or that Menendez accepted bribes.

“Lack of evidence should be used against the prosecution,” he said. “There is no evidence that he said or implied that he did anything for a bribe.”

He also recovered over $100,000 in gold bars and over $480,000 in cash. found at a home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, during an FBI search in June 2022, although he admitted he had valuables: “It’s provocative. It’s unusual.”

“Prosecutors have not come close to showing that any gold or cash was given to Senator Menendez as a bribe,” Fee said.

“This is a highly controversial case,” he said, suggesting there are large gaps in the evidence that are not supported by emails, text messages or other evidence.

The long-time legislator has been charged with 16 crimes, including obstructing justice, acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and telecommunications fraud.

After the jury was sent home Tuesday, Fee told Judge Sidney Stein that he was halfway through a five-hour detention that would resume Wednesday morning. After it was detention, there would be arguments from two other defense attorneys before prosecutors presented rebuttal arguments. The jury will likely get its case Thursday.

Earlier Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said in closing arguments: which started on Monday that the senator engaged in “completely abnormal” behavior in response to bribes, including attempting to interfere in criminal cases conducted by top state and federal prosecutors in New Jersey.

Menendez has pleaded not guilty to charges that between 2018 and 2022, he accepted bribes, including gold and envelopes of cash, from three New Jersey businessmen who wanted him to help them with their business ventures.

The ninth week of his trial began on Monday.

Menendez is on trial along with two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. Hana, who prosecutors say recruited Menendez to help him protect a monopoly on certifying meat exports from the U.S. to Egypt, and Daibes, a powerful real estate developer, have also pleaded not guilty. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, has pleaded guilty and he testified that he bought a Mercedes-Benz convertible for the senator’s wife in exchange for Menendez dropping the criminal investigation against his business associates.

Monteleoni rejected defense efforts to create the impression that Menendez had no knowledge of his then-girlfriend’s attempts to extort money or favors from businessmen, Nadine Arslanianwho became his wife in October 2020. Fee has he argued that she did everything she could to hide her financial problems from Menendez, including the fact that she was unable to pay for her house.

To prove that Menendez was in charge of the corruption ring, the prosecutor cited testimony about a small bell the senator allegedly used to call his wife one day when he was with Uribe outside his house and wanted her to bring him some papers.

The bell “showed you that he was in charge,” Monteleoni said, “and not a puppet being pulled by someone who was summoned by the bell.”

Nadine Menendez was also charged in the case, but her trial was adjourned, is recovering from breast cancer surgery.

Menendez has resisted calls, even from some prominent Democrats, to resign, though he resigned from his influential position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the allegations emerged last fall.

A few weeks ago, Menendez filed for re-election this year as an independent.