Certainly! Here's a revised version of the content that is plagiarism-free and unique:
NEW YORK (AP) — Jury selection was set to begin on Monday in the trial of Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat accused of accepting bribes in the form of gold and cash to use his influence to provide favors for three New Jersey businessmen.
Menendez, aged 70, will face trial in Manhattan federal court alongside two businessmen — real estate developer Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. All three have entered pleas of not guilty. Another businessman has pleaded guilty and is cooperating as a witness against the other defendants. The senator's wife is also charged, but her trial has been postponed until at least July.
Opening statements might be possible, but unlikely, before Tuesday for a trial that has already significantly impacted the senator's political standing. After charges were announced in September, he was compelled to resign from his influential post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Although he has announced he will not seek reelection on the Democratic ticket this fall, he has not ruled out running as an independent candidate.
This will be Menendez's second corruption trial this decade. The previous prosecution on unrelated charges ended with a hung jury in 2017.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez's actions on behalf of the businessmen led him to take actions benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez has vigorously denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with foreign officials.
In addition to charges of bribery, extortion, fraud, and obstruction of justice, Menendez is also charged with acting as a foreign agent of Egypt
Among the pieces of evidence that his lawyers will need to explain are gold bars worth over $100,000 and more than $486,000 in cash found in a raid on his New Jersey home two years ago, including money hidden in the pockets of clothing in closets. The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged in the case, but her trial has been postponed for health reasons. She is still expected to play a significant role. Prosecutors allege that Nadine Menendez often served as a conduit between the bribe payers and Menendez.
The senator's lawyers have indicated in court papers that they plan to argue that Menendez was unaware of some of the events because she kept him uninformed.
According to the indictment, Daibes delivered gold bars and cash to Menendez and his wife to secure the senator's assistance with a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, leading Menendez to act in ways favorable to Qatar's government.
The indictment also alleges that Menendez took actions benefiting Egyptian officials in exchange for bribes from Hana, as the businessman secured a valuable deal with the Egyptian government to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary requirements.
In pleading guilty several weeks ago, businessman Jose Uribe admitted to buying Menendez's wife a Mercedes-Benz to get the senator's help to influence criminal investigations involving his business associates.