Sen. Bob Menendez will be able to argue at his federal corruption trial that he believed he was acting in the public’s best interest when helping Egypt and Qatar, while prosecutors will present evidence alleging that he and his wife accepted bribes in a scheme with the foreign governments to fund their lavish lifestyle. The trial is expected to begin with jury selection next Monday, with Menendez facing two co-defendants and his wife facing separate charges. A businessman involved in the scheme has already pleaded guilty and is cooperating with prosecutors. The trial will be a test of how jurors weigh evidence of elected officials accused of crimes like bribery.
The trial is scheduled to last several weeks, as prosecutors aim to prove that Menendez and the businessmen engaged in a wide-ranging corruption scheme to assist the Egyptian and Qatari governments in exchange for lucrative bribes. The judge ruled on what arguments would be allowed, specifying that infighting and political commentary would not be permitted. Prosecutors will be able to show evidence that the Menendez family lived lavishly using money from the scheme, but will not be allowed to display hundreds of photographs of assets. Menendez’s defense strategies remain unclear, but the judge barred some arguments from the defense team.
Among the arguments prohibited by the judge was any effort to cross-examine FBI agents about whether Menendez was warned about being used by the Egyptian government as an agent. Menendez will be allowed to argue that his actions were in the public’s interest and that other lawmakers have met with foreign intelligence officials, but cannot use the actions of other lawmakers to justify his own. The judge still must address some issues before the trial, including whether Menendez can call a psychiatrist to testify about the senator’s habits of stashing gold bars and cash at home, which he claims are due to trauma from his father’s suicide and family history in Cuba.
Prosecutors are seeking to bar the psychiatrist’s testimony, arguing that it lacks scientific reliability and is meant to garner sympathy from the jurors. The judge has not yet decided what questions will be allowed during jury selection, but proposed questions include opinions about people from New Jersey and feelings regarding the pursuit of charges against elected officials by the Department of Justice. The trial will be closely watched due to Menendez’s position as a senator and the high-profile nature of the case.
