Closing arguments dragged on in the federal corruption trial of New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez on Tuesday and are expected to continue on Wednesday.
Menendez is charged with 16 counts, including bribery, extortion and public official acting as a foreign agent.
He was tried alongside two New Jersey businessmen who were allegedly involved in the corruption scheme. The businessmen and Menendez have pleaded not guilty.
His wife, Nadine Menendez, was also supposed to be a co-defendant in the proceedings, but her trial was delayed until August. Robert Menendez revealed his wife is battling breast cancer in May, just as the trial was beginning.
Prosecutors alleged the senator used his political position to gain lavish gifts, such as cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, furniture and payments on a home mortgage.
The trial is in its ninth week.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni alleged a "clear pattern of corruption" in his closing argument.
"The timeline tells you what happened," Monteleoni said. "When Menendez hears Nadine is going to get paid, he springs into action again and again."
He displayed text messages and search history to try to discredit defense claims that the senator was unaware of his wife's dealings in the alleged scheme.
"You don't get to be the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by being clueless," Monteleoni said.
Monteleoni also attempted to piece together records of interactions involving Nadine Menendez to demonstrate that Robert Menendez knew what was happening.
"One call standing in isolation, you can't tell much," Monteleoni said. "But as you add more pieces of the puzzle and they fit together, the picture becomes clearer and clearer and it becomes unmistakable."
He also tried to disprove the claim that the lavish gifts came from a place of friendship.
"Friends do not give friends envelopes stuffed with $10,000 in cash just out of friendship," Monteleoni said.
As he wrapped up his closing statement, Monteleoni urged jurors to find the senator guilty.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the buck stops here, the thousands and thousands of bucks stop here. It's time to hold him responsible," Monteleoni said.
Attorney Adam Fee delivered the closing statement for the defense. He said the prosecution did not prove a single count and are "asking you to ignore things that don't fit their theory."
Fee claimed the gold bars found by officials at the Menendez's home was not part of a bribe.
"Nadine was supporting herself by selling gold, by selling jewelry, by selling other things," Fee said.
He said the cash found in the home came from Nadine Menendez's sale of family heirlooms and jewelry.
Fee also argued that it was not uncommon for Robert Menendez to keep large amounts of cash at home. He said the senator withdrew $305,000 total from the bank between 1995 and 2022, often in large amounts. That timeline precedes the events of the alleged scheme, which began around 2018.
He said the prosecution's case was "guesswork."
"The gaps you are being asked to fill are not based on evidence. Don't fall into a trap of buying a story, a forceful, well-told, long, long story," Fee said. "Resist that."
The defense will continue its closing statement on Wednesday.
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Jenna Sundel is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Jenna joined Newsweek ... Read more
