In a recent development, federal prosecutors disclosed that some evidence excluded from the bribery trial of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was mistakenly included on a computer provided to jurors. The prosecutors emphasized that this oversight should not impact Menendez's conviction.
Menendez, who resigned from the Senate in August following his conviction on 16 charges including bribery and extortion, is awaiting sentencing scheduled for Jan. 29. The trial alleged that Menendez accepted bribes in the form of gold and cash from New Jersey businessmen and acted as an agent for the Egyptian government.
Prosecutors informed Judge Sidney H. Stein that incorrect versions of nine government exhibits were missing redactions ordered to comply with the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause. Despite this error, prosecutors argued that no action was necessary as defense lawyers did not object during their review of the documents on the laptop before it was given to jurors.
Furthermore, prosecutors stated that there was a low likelihood that jurors saw the improperly redacted versions of the exhibits and that even if they did, it would not have prejudiced the defendants due to the secondary relevance of the documents and the abundance of properly admitted evidence.
Menendez, who plans to appeal his conviction, has filed for an acquittal or a new trial. His legal team contends that prosecutors infringed on his Speech or Debate privilege and failed to provide concrete evidence of any wrongdoing on his part during the trial.
Menendez, who was appointed as a U.S. senator in 2006 and subsequently won elections in 2006, 2012, and 2018, continues to maintain his innocence amidst the legal proceedings.
