Federal corruption trial of Sen. Menendez on track to begin next week

Sen. Bob Menendez will be allowed to argue at his federal corruption trial that he thought he was acting for the “good of the public” when helping Egypt and Qatar, while prosecutors will be able to present evidence to the jury that they allege shows the lawmaker and his wife took bribes in a scheme involving the foreign governments to fund their lavish lifestyle.

Sen. Bob Menendez will be allowed to argue at his federal corruption trial that he thought he was acting for the “good of the public” when helping Egypt and Qatar, while prosecutors will be able to present evidence to the jury that they allege shows the lawmaker and his wife took bribes in a scheme involving the foreign governments to fund their lavish lifestyle. Judge Sidney Stein set those general perimeters at a hearing Monday in federal court in New York, where he outlined how he wants the high-profile trial to run. The trial of Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is expected to begin with jury selection next Monday. Menendez will face a jury alongside two New Jersey businessmen who are co-defendants. His wife, Nadine, also has been charged but will be tried separately. Another co-defendant, businessman Jose Uribe, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the bribery scheme and cooperated with federal prosecutors. Menendez is one of several current and former members of Congress – including former Rep. George Santos and Rep. Henry Cuellar – facing federal charges and will be a test of how jurors weigh evidence of elected officials accused of a crime. The trial is scheduled to last several weeks, as prosecutors try to prove that Menendez and the businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes engaged in a wide-ranging corruption scheme to help the Egyptian and Qatari governments in exchange for lucrative bribes. All three men have pleaded not guilty.