Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty of taking bribes

NEW YORK (NewsNation) —New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was found guilty of accepting bribes, including gold and a luxury car.

Menendez pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges that he accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from 2018 to 2022. 

The trial lasted nine weeks and took place in a Manhattan federal court. The start of jury deliberations had been pushed back a day due to a four-hour prosecution rebuttal.

During the rebuttal, the prosecution repeated much of its five-hour-long closing argument, revisiting the cash and gold found in Menendez’s home and saying there doesn’t need to be a video of the senator accepting the alleged bribes to be able to make the connection. Prosecutors also revisited the testimony of Jose Uribe, one of the three businessmen who were accused of bribing the senator.

Following the conviction, Menendez could face prison.