WASHINGTON – The upcoming trial of Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, on federal bribery charges is poised to begin on Monday, yet within the U.S. Senate, there is a noticeable lack of discussion surrounding it.
Menendez, aged 70, was indicted in September on allegations of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. The charges assert that he used his position to benefit three businessmen from New Jersey, as well as the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez has pleaded not guilty and is resolute in his determination to contest the charges in court.
When questioned about the trial and his experiences serving alongside Menendez since his legal issues became public, most of his colleagues opted to steer clear of the topic. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia stated, “I don’t want to really go there,” while Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said, “I have no comment on that at all.” Senator Jon Tester of Montana admitted, “I’ve got to be really, really honest with you, it wasn’t even on my mind until you brought it up.”
Even Republican senators, while courteous, remained reserved. Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee with Menendez, remarked, “I’ve always found Sen. Menendez had very good questions on Foreign Relations.” Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stated, “I’ll let the justice system work its will.”
Despite the Senate's decorum, behind the scenes, Menendez has become somewhat isolated in the upper chamber since his indictment. He stepped down from his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but continues to serve on the panel. Menendez still fulfills his voting obligations but otherwise keeps a low profile. He often goes unnoticed by reporters and is rarely approached by colleagues in the Capitol.
Following news of the indictment, more than half of Menendez’s Senate Democratic colleagues called for his resignation, including Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. Booker, who previously served as a character witness for Menendez during a separate corruption trial in 2015, expressed difficulty in calling for his resignation: “One of the more difficult times I’ve had as a United States Senator was to call for a man to resign even though I believe everyone has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Booker emphasized the importance of due process and continued to work with Menendez, stating, “I think it’s vital that we have two senators who are fighting for their state.”
The only Democratic senator to consistently call for Menendez’s resignation is Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has repeatedly criticized Menendez as a corrupt politician.
According to federal prosecutors, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, assisted three businessmen in obtaining funding from a Qatari investment company in exchange for gifts, including cash, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, watches, and gold bars.
Prosecutors have expanded their charges against Menendez multiple times since September. Initially, he was accused of helping an Egyptian businessman secure a monopoly on halal meat imports to the U.S. while providing aid to the Egyptian government. Subsequent allegations include assisting another businessman in securing investments from a member of the Qatari royal family and attempting to influence separate criminal investigations in exchange for bribes.