On June 11, 2024, in New York City, the United States, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) arrived at the federal court to face a bribery trial related to alleged corrupt relationships with three New Jersey businessmen.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Defense attorneys on Tuesday cast doubt on the credibility of a star witness in Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez’s federal corruption trial after he testified that he bribed the embattled lawmaker and his wife. A review was conducted.
The witness, Jose Uribe, was one of three New Jersey businessmen initially charged in the case, along with Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez .
Uribe reversed course in early March, pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors in hopes of avoiding prison time when he is sentenced for the crimes, which carry a maximum penalty of 95 years in prison.
in his direct testimony On the witness stand in New York federal court, Uribe said that in 2019 he bought a Mercedes convertible for Nadine, then Menendez’s girlfriend, in exchange for the senator’s influence.
Prosecutors accuse Menendez of trying to interfere with a criminal investigation in New Jersey related to Uribe’s associates.
“This was a promise I made to her so that she would get the car and keep the agreement,” Uribe testified Monday.
During cross-examination on Tuesday, lawyers for Menendez’s co-defendant Valhana sought to undermine Uribe’s testimony, NBC News reported.
Attorney Ricardo Solano asked Uribe, “Is it fair for you to lie to get away with it when you’re in trouble?”
Uribe responded, “I have lied in the past,” adding that he had taken the steps he believed were “necessary to protect my family.”
Solano further asked: “Does that include lying?”
Uribe said yes. “I did this to protect my family,” he said.
On March 1, Uribe pleaded guilty to seven counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud and obstruction of justice.
The 70-year-old senior U.S. senator and his wife are accused of illegally accepting cash, gold bars and other gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for official acts.
Menendez, Harner and another New Jersey businessman, Fred Debis, are on trial together in federal court in lower Manhattan. Nadine Menendez’s trial has been delayed until July for medical reasons; the senator revealed during the trial that his wife has breast cancer.
Menendez’s attorneys tried to blame Nadine Menendez, saying she “sidelined” the senator over money issues. His lawyer, Avi Weitzman, noted in his opening statement that the gold bars were found “in Nadine’s closet.”
Menendez, who has been denounced by some Democratic colleagues, has filed to run Re-elected as an independent candidate.
About The Author
