Jury reaches verdict in 'Gold Bars' Senator Bob Menendez's salacious bribery corruption trial

A assemblage reached has reached a verdict successful nan bribery proceedings of New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, who has been accused of participating successful a years-long overseas corruption strategy that earned him golden bars, rate and a caller car. 

The long-time lawmaker sat for complete 8 weeks successful a New York national courtroom arsenic witnesses and prosecutors revealed nan scintillating specifications of his alleged scheme to reward aggregate New Jersey businessmen pinch favors successful speech for payment, prosecutors alleged.  

Menendez allegedly utilized his high-profile position arsenic nan erstwhile Senate Foreign Relations Committee president to thief 1 man discuss a statement pinch Egyptian officials.

And he utilized his power arsenic nan New Jersey's elder legislator to quash a authorities investigation into different accomplice's authorities security fraud case, prosecutors said.

Menendez's defense, meanwhile, based on nan Democrat had a fearfulness of going without and his Cuban practice arsenic nan logic he stored golden and hundreds of thousands of dollars successful rate astatine his home. 

The New Jersey Democrat and his woman had been nether investigation for allegedly accepting bribes of cash, golden bars and a luxury car over nan past 5 years to transportation retired favors for 3 businessmen who are besides charged successful nan case.

In June 2022, nan FBI raided nan senator's location uncovering nan fruits of his corrupt labors. 

They claimed nan 13 golden bars, astir half a cardinal dollars successful rate and nan convertible Mercedes-Benz  recovered during nan hunt were each bribery payments to Menendez and his woman Nadine.

The Menendezes pleaded not blameworthy to nan corruption scheme. Nadine Menendez will beryllium tried successful a abstracted proceedings owed to her caller bosom crab diagnosis.

Two of nan New Jersey businessmen indicted alongside nan Menendezes, Wael 'Will' Hana - a legal nutrient mogul - and Fred Daibes - a existent property developer - besides pleaded not guilty. 

Jose Uribe, a erstwhile security broker, pleaded blameworthy successful nan lawsuit earlier this twelvemonth and since has testified that he bribed nan Menendezes.

'I agreed pinch Nadine Menendez and different group to supply a car for Nadine successful bid to get nan powerfulness and power of Mr. Menendez,' Uribe told nan court. 

He sewage her a convertible Mercedes-Benz for helping him 'kill' investigations into respective of his associates by nan New Jersey lawyer general's office. 

As it would move out, done some prosecutor's and Menendez's attorneys, Nadine was cardinal to nan case's alleged bribery arrangements - often acting arsenic a spell betwixt for her hubby and his criminal associates.

After a assemblage ruled a mistrial successful a erstwhile national corruption proceedings successful 2017, Menendez, who has held his spot arsenic New Jersey Senator since 2006, was fresh to make himself anew. 

Part of that makeover progressive a thrilling caller narration pinch Nadine Arslanian successful 2018. 

Nadine, a tall, striking blonde Lebanese-American female 13-years younger than Bob, was besides divorced.

She separated from existent estate Raffi Arslanian successful 2005 aft getting together successful 1989 and having 2 children, USA Today reported. The divorcement near her pinch indebtedness and small money. 

But her luck turned astir erstwhile she began making love nan able and powerful Menendez successful February 2018.

Nadine introduced her early hubby to Wael 'Will' Hana and quickly coordinated dozens of gathering betwixt nan two. 

Hana, a legal nutrient mogul, was good connected pinch Egyptian officials and Menendez's domiciled arsenic president of nan Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, was surely a adjuvant relationship to person - prosecutors said.

By nan summertime of 2018, Nadine and Hana had coordinated meetings pinch nan Senator and Egyptian officials astatine nan Democrat's D.C. Senate agency and elsewhere. 

In May, Menendez requested State Department accusation connected nan U.S. Embassy successful Cairo and past passed it on to Egyptian subject officials. 

But his lawyers pushed backmost connected this arguing nan accusation was already public.  

Later successful July, nan Senator met again pinch Egyptian subject officials who wanted a $100 cardinal woody for vessel munitions.

After nan meeting, which was coordinated by Nadine, Menendez texted her 'Tell Will I americium going to motion disconnected this waste to Egypt today.'

Nadine sent nan connection to Hana, who later sent it to Egyptian officials, who gave it a thumbs up response. 

The mates kept adjacent tabs connected each other, search 1 different utilizing their iPhones. At times Menendez would matter Nadine if her locator went dark. 

'I mislaid you,' Menendez erstwhile texted Nadine. 

Prosecutors based on nan search helped reassure nan Democrat that his go-between was executing connected his illicit deals, while nan Senator's defense said Nadine's ex poses a threat to her, and Menendez was alternatively concerned astir him. 

The Lebanon-born 57-year-old astatine times caused 'too overmuch drama,' according to Menendez's lawyers. She has been known to statement and socialize pinch formed members of 'Mob Wives' and 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey.' 

In December 2018 Nadine sewage into a car crash, starring to nan decease of a 49-year-old Richard Koop. 

After nan clang she needed a caller car because, and nan mates could not free up rate quickly to bargain her a caller one, truthful they turned to get immoderate help. 

Hana and erstwhile security executive Jose Uribe had an answer. 

'I retrieve saying to her, if your problem is simply a car, my problem is redeeming my family,' Uribe said during nan trial. 

He went connected to show nan assemblage really he handed Nadine $15,000 successful rate astatine a restaraunt parking lot. 

Uribe added that he financed Nadine's caller Mercedes-Benz C 3000 convertible for years.   

In return, nan erstwhile security agent asked that Menendez quash investigations by nan New Jersey lawyer wide into his friends. 

Uribe recounted gathering nan Senator astatine his location and discussing nan investigation erstwhile Menendez rang a doorbell to summon Nadine. 

After proceeding nan chime she came retired pinch papers. Menendez past wrote down nan names Uribe told him, met pinch nan New Jersey lawyer wide nan adjacent day. 

Later successful 2019 nan Menendezes went retired to meal astatine Morton's Steakhouse successful Washington D.C., pinch Hana and Egyptian officials. 

Unbeknownst to nan couple, businessman aliases officials an FBI supplier was astatine an adjacent array monitoring nan full meeting. 

'What other tin nan emotion of my life do for you?' Nadine asked nan men astatine nan table, nan supplier later testified. 

Days later Menendez called a Department of Agriculture charismatic to impulse him to rethink an export statement that would use Hana. 

As clip went on, Nadine and nan Senator's narration progressed, starring to nan Democrat proposing to nan blonde divorcee extracurricular of nan Taj Mahal successful India.