Sen. Bob Menendez Corruption Trial Kicks Off With Jury Selection
The Facts
The corruption trial for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) began on Monday in Manhattan federal court, as US District Judge Sidney Stein addressed the prosecution, defense, and a pool of prospective jurors.
Menendez is accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen that led the sitting US Senator to take actions benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The Spin
Sen. Bob Menendez is a poster child of corruption and an utter disgrace to the Senate. Despite facing unprecedented charges of treason, Menendez has retained his job in what could only be explained as a political favor from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. This is Menendez’s second criminal trial in recent years, and the evidence against him is overwhelming. Politicians on both sides of the political spectrum have called for Menendez's resignation, and the American people deserve a Senator who is bough
Just like any other US citizen, Sen. Bob Menendez has the right to defend himself from the charges against him. The Senator has consistently maintained that he has never accepted bribes in exchange for political favors to donors or foreign governments. Political forces are quick to assume guilt, but that is not how the American judicial system operates. Menendez is innocent until proven guilty, and he will present his case over the course of this trial.
