Sen. Menendez Corruption Trial: What We Know So Far

Did U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez offer a friend political favors in exchange for lavish gifts and campaign contributions? That’s the question that may ultimately lead to a power shift between Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate, as the man once dubbed the “Boss of Hudson County” battles federal corruption charges.

It’s been more than two years since federal officials first announced the criminal allegations facing Menendez, a veteran Democrat lawmaker from New Jersey. Since then, Menendez — who is up for reelection in 2018 — has kept his seat as the Garden State’s senior senator while the legal wheels spin.

On Sept. 6, Menendez’s high-profile trial kicked off in Newark. Here’s what we know so far about the charges, trial and stakes at hand.

Keep updated at the Patch Newark Facebook page.

THE CHARGES

Menendez’s trial represents a rare event in recent U.S. history: a sitting senator facing felony charges.

Menendez, identified as a Paramus resident in a Department of Justice statement, was indicted in April 2015 on charges of conspiracy, violating the travel act, bribery, honest services fraud and making false statements.

According to prosecutors, Menendez allegedly conspired with Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, to use the power of his senate office to influence the outcome of ongoing contractual and Medicare billing disputes worth tens of millions of dollars to Melgen. In addition, Menendez allegedly supported the visa applications of several of Melgen’s girlfriends.

In exchange, Menendez received almost $1 million worth of lavish gifts and campaign contributions, prosecutors stated.

• See related article: Menendez Indicted On Corruption Charges
• See related article: Senator's Alleged Wrongdoings Run Gamut of Illegal Activity

The list of alleged gifts includes flights on Melgen’s private jet, numerous vacations at Melgen’s Caribbean villa in the Dominican Republic and a hotel room in Paris, $40,000 in contributions to his legal defense fund and more than $750,000 in campaign contributions.

Menendez never disclosed any of the reportable gifts that he received from Melgen on his legally required financial disclosure forms, prosecutors stated.

In April, a federal jury in South Florida convicted Melgen of 67 criminal counts of fraud in a separate case that also involved Medicare.

THE TRIAL (SO FAR)

When the trial began on Sept. 6, prosecutors said they plan to introduce evidence of a seven-year bribery scheme, including email correspondence, flight manifests, hotel bills, credit card statements and Federal Election Commission filings.

"This case is about serious questions of fact and law related to the corruption of one of the highest-elected offices in the United States government," a prosecution brief read.

An attorney for Menendez stated that Menendez may have done some of the things that prosecutors accuse him of but that they can’t find Menendez guilty unless they conclude he and Melgen had a bribery arrangement.

“This case isn’t about what happened, it’s about why it happened,” Menendez’s attorney Abbe Lowell said.

Menendez’s legal team has also suggested that the prosecution’s handling of the case has made it difficult to find unbiased jurors due to “adverse pretrial publicity."

MENENDEZ’S RESPONSE

Following his indictment in 2015, Menendez proclaimed that he was “angry, ready to fight and not going anywhere.”

Menendez’s legal team has asserted that Melgen’s generosity was simply his way of sharing his wealth with a close friend.

“The Justice Department doesn’t know the difference between corruption and friendship,” Menendez said. “I will be vindicated.”

Melgen has also denied the allegations. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

• See related article: ‘I'm Angry, Ready to Fight, And Not Going Anywhere,’ Menendez Says

THE STAKES

If Menendez is found guilty, it could have significant effects on the political landscape in the Senate. A pressing point: if Menendez steps down from his position, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be able to nominate a fellow Republican in his place.

The trial may also have ramifications for his reelection chances next year. In April, a Morning Consult Governor Approval survey stated that Menendez was one of the most unpopular politicians in the nation with an approval rating that dipped below 40 percent.

• See related article: NJ Has 2 Of The Most Unpopular Public Officials In America

Get an idea of the stakes involved in the below video.

SUPPORT AND CRITICISM

Menendez, a Union City native who was once called the “Boss of Hudson County” to his chagrin, is no stranger to controversy and legal actions.

In August of 2006, Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging that his rental of property to a nonprofit agency that receives federal funds broke conflict-of-interest rules (the investigation was closed in 2011 with no charges filed).

A group of Tea Party activists launched a recall effort against Menendez in 2010, an effort which Menendez successfully appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

In 2010, Menendez was accused of writing an ethically questionable letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, asking Bernanke to approve an acquisition for a New Jersey bank with directors who had given him political contributions.

• See related article: Robert Menendez Is No Stranger To Controversy

Much of the support and criticism for Menendez’s most recent legal challenge has been along party lines.

Following the corruption indictment in 2015, several Democrats spoke out in support of Menendez.

“Senator Menendez has always maintained his innocence and I stand with him as he defends himself from these charges because he is a friend and has proven to be a fierce fighter on behalf of all New Jerseyans,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey’s 9th District. “I know he will continue the job the people of New Jersey elected him to and work tirelessly on behalf of his constituents.”

“Like all Americans, Senator Menendez is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence and the chance to defend himself. We must allow the legal process to work through the matters at hand,” said U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from New Jersey’s 9th District.

“All Americans, not just Senator Menendez, are entitled to a presumption of innocence,” said U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, a Democrat from New Jersey’s 8th District. “These charges are just an accusation. My friend, Bob Menendez is not going anywhere.”

• See related article: NJ Dems Show Support for Menendez After Corruption Indictment

But GOP lawmakers have had much harsher words for Menendez and the corruption charges he faces.

“Democratic Senator Robert Menendez’s public corruption trial is a big deal, but it has been vastly underreported in the media,” RNC Chairperson Ronna McDaniel said. “This case is ripe with corruption and chock full of lies involving lavish resorts, nearly one million dollars in gifts and political favors leveraged to benefit a wealthy donor who has already being convicted of defrauding Medicare of more than $90 million. A sitting U.S. Senator involved in a federal bribery trial and facing 14 corruption-related counts is no small potatoes. If convicted, Senate Democrats need to immediately call for his resignation.”

On Sept. 5, the Republican National Committee released the following video about the Menendez trial.

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Photo: Sen. Robert Menendez, Facebook