The jury charged in the bribery trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez reached a verdict after three days of deliberations.
This came after the jury on Monday asked the judge if unanimity was needed to acquit on a single count. After consulting with the lawyers in the case, Judge Sidney H. Stein replied: “Jury, your vote, whether guilty or not, must be unanimous as to each count and each defendant.”
Menendez, 70, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted gold bullion and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash between 2018 and 2022 from three New Jersey businessmen. In exchange, he allegedly would take official actions to benefit their interests, including financial ones. He faces 16 counts in a criminal indictment that accuses him of multiple acts of corruption, including interfering in criminal investigations to protect his associates and helping one of them negotiate with U.S. agricultural regulators. He is also accused of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt.
The New Jersey senator is on trial alongside two businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, who have also pleaded not guilty. Daibes is a major property developer in New Jersey, while Hana obtained a monopoly to certify that meat exported to Egypt complied with Islamic standards.
[Noticia en desarrollo]
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