Washington — Jurors in New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial will meet for a third day Tuesday to deliberate the fate of the New Jersey Democrat, who is accused of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for using his political influence to their benefit.
The jury began deliberations Friday afternoon and carried on through Monday without reaching a verdict.
Leaving court Monday, Menendez, who has pleaded not guilty, said that “it is obvious the government’s case is not as simple as they made it [out] to be.”
His comments followed the jury of six women and six men asking the judge for two clarifications — “Does a not guilty verdict on a single count require unanimity?” and “Does intervening in the federal prosecution of Daibes in New Jersey fall under counts 11 and 12 in the indictment?”
The judge responded to the first question, saying “Your vote — whether guilty or not guilty — must be unanimous as to each count and each defendant.”
Adam Gray / Getty Images
The note sheds little light on the potential verdict, but it indicates that jurors are divided on at least one of the 18 counts in the indictment. Menendez is charged with 16 counts, including obstruction of justice, acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.
The two counts referenced by the jury charge Menendez and real estate developer Fred Daibes with bribery. They allege Daibes gave Menendez and his wife gold bars and thousands in cash. In return, Menendez allegedly tried to use his influence to nominate a federal prosecutor who he thought could make a bank fraud case against Daibes disappear. They also involve Menendez making public statements in support of Qatar and introducing Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family who invested in his real estate project.
“Intervening in the federal prosecution of Daibes falls within counts 11 and 12, only if the jury concludes that the government has proven each of the elements of counts 11 and 12 beyond a reasonable doubt,” Judge Sidney Stein wrote back to jurors.
Daibes and Wael Hana, who owns a halal certification company, are on trial with Menendez and have pleaded not guilty.
Nadine Menendez, the senator’s wife, was also charged in the alleged scheme, but Stein on Monday postponed her trial indefinitely as she recovers from breast cancer surgery.