In the ongoing federal bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, his sister is set to take the stand and testify about the family’s long-standing practice of storing cash outside of banks. The defense team for the embattled Democrat plans to present this testimony as part of their case, highlighting the senator’s Cuban family history and their deep-rooted distrust of financial institutions.
According to court filings, Menendez’s sister will explain that their parents’ experience of losing their life savings after leaving Cuba and settling in a Union City tenement led to a family tradition of hoarding cash. This explanation aims to provide context for the stacks of bills and gold bars found in the senator’s Englewood Cliffs home during an FBI raid in June 2022.
Prosecutors, who rested their case on Friday, have accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of accepting over $150,000 in gold bars, $566,000 in cash payments, and other gifts in exchange for political favors. Witnesses, including insurance broker Jose Uribe, testified about their involvement in the alleged scheme. Uribe claimed to have bought Nadine a new Mercedes in return for her assistance in thwarting a state criminal investigation.
Menendez’s defense team has attempted to shift blame onto his wife, claiming that she secretly stashed the gold bars in her closet without his knowledge. They had also planned to call a psychiatrist to testify about the senator’s financial habits being rooted in intergenerational trauma caused by his father’s suicide over gambling debts. However, the judge ruled against allowing this testimony.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Menendez will testify in his own defense. The senator, who has pleaded not guilty, stepped down from his position as chair of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee following his indictment in September 2023 but has refused to resign from Congress.
1 Response
I found this post on the ongoing federal bribery trial of Sen. very interesting. It is disheartening to see public officials engaging in corrupt practices that undermine the trust of the people they are supposed to serve.
As a concerned citizen, my personal goal is to stay informed about such cases and advocate for transparency and accountability in our government. I plan to actively follow this trial and educate myself on the details and implications of the case. By doing so, I hope to contribute to a more informed public