NEWARK, NJ — “Not once have I dishonored my public office,” Sen. Bob Menendez said as he entered a courthouse Wednesday for the start of his federal corruption trial that could threaten his political career and potentially the makeup of a deeply divided US Senate i🌳f he’s convicted.
Flanked by his two adult children and at times choking back tears, the New Jersey 🌜Democrat said, “I started my public career fighting corruption — that’s how I started — and I have always acted i🅺n accordance with the law.
“And I believe when all the💜 facts are known, I will b🍌e vindicated,” Menendez said.
Along with picking three more jurors needed before opening 🐼statements could begin, the morning featured some sparring between ꧋defense attorneys for Menendez and Judge William Walls.
Lawyer Raymond Brown criticized Judge William Walls over a line in his opinion last week that rejected the senator’s request for the case to be adjourned ⛎on days when the Senate has “critical” votes scheduled.
“Quite frankly, your honor, that language is extremely prejudicial to the defense and it comes from the court. I think th♛e court has disparaged the defense,” Brown said.
The defense lawyer and judge started going back and forth, and at points talking ove💎r each other, culminating in Judge Walls interjecting, “Shut up for a moment if you don’t mind. I said what I said [due to] the lack of merits in this motion.”
The case, brought by prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Unit, accuses Menendez, 63, of accepting lavish bribes from a millionaire Palm Beachಞ, Florida, eye doctor, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations, free pri🦩vate jet flights and “all-expense paid” vacations.
In exchange, Menendez pressed government officials to help his d🦄octor friend, who will also be on tria📖l, with his business and personal affairs — including procuring US visas for Melgen’s three young girlfriends, the feds have said.
One month after Menen𒆙dez reached out to the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, for example, one of Melgen’s girlfriends — and her sis🎃ter — were re-interviewed and allowed entry into the US, prosecutors have said.
Prosecutors will also tell the jury that Menendez helped Melgen fight the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ claim that he cheated Medicare out of $8.9 million in 2007 and 2008 in exchangeꦺ for bribes.
🌳On the same day that a $300,000 check from Melgen arrived at a Menendez political-action committee June 7, 2012, Menendez met with CMS’s highest-ranking official and pressed the agency to “change the reimbursement policy leading to the $8.9 million repayment demand,” the feds say.
Menendez generally kept the gift🍌s — including a three-night stay a $1,500 per night room at ꦚthe Park Hyatt Hotel in Paris — secret by failing to report them in his annual financial disclosure forms, the feds have said.
Menendez, who has deni𝓀ed the charges, is expected to argue that the gifts he received from Melgen were due to their close friendship — and thꦚat he advocated for the doctor as he would any constituent.
With Associated Press