Defense Attorneys in Sen. Bob MenendezThe gentleman’s federal bribery trial ended Wednesday without him taking the stand.
Menendez, D-N.J., spoke briefly to reporters after leaving the New York courthouse and explained why he decided not to testify.
“From my perspective, the government has failed to prove all aspects of this case,” he said, adding that he did not see any point in testifying and that he expected the jury to find him not guilty.
Closing arguments are expected next week.
According to the indictment, prosecutors alleged that bribes in the form of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were found during a 2022 search of Menendez’s home, with “much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe.”
They also said the bribes were paid by three businessmen between 2018 and 2022 in exchange for official acts by Menendez as senator.
Menendez is on trial with two of the businessmen — Wael Hana and Fred Daibes — after the third man, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify at trial as part of a deal with prosecutors. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, is also charged in the case. Her trial was postponed as she recovers from breast cancer surgery.
Menendez has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent of Egypt and obstruction of justice. His wife and the two other businessmen have also pleaded not guilty.
Shortly after he was indicted in September, he resigned as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but resisted calls from party members to step down.
Menendez has served in the Senate since 2006. He filed to run for re-election as an independent last month and is expected to face Rep. Andy Kim, who won the Democratic primary for Senate, and Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw in November.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
