Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial
Federal prosecutors say some evidence that a judge had excluded from the bribery trial of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was inadvertently put on a computer given to jurors, but they say it should not affect the Democrat's conviction
NEW YORK (AP) — Some evidence that a federal judge had excluded from the bribery trial of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was inadvertently put on a computer given to jurors, federal prosecutors revealed Wednesday, though they insisted it should have no effect on the Democrat’s conviction.
The prosecutors told Judge Sidney H. Stein in a letter that they recently discovered the error which caused a laptop computer to contain versions of several trial exhibits that did not contain the full redactions Stein had ordered.
Menendez, 70, resigned from the Senate in August after his July conviction on 16 charges, including bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. He was forced to give up his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after he was charged in the case in fall 2023.
He awaits a sentencing scheduled for Jan. 29 after a trial that featured allegations that he accepted bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as an agent for the Egyptian government. Two businessmen were convicted with him while a third testified against him in a cooperation deal.
