Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., was found guilty on all 16 counts on Tuesday in his criminal corruption trial of bribery, acting as a foreign agent and other charges.
The jury deliberated for 12.5 hours over three days. Menendez is due to be sentenced Oct. 29 and has vowed to appeal.
Federal prosecutors alleged the senator took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his political influence to enrich businessmen and benefit Egypt and Qatar. Prosecutors said the bribes included cash and gold, among other things.
Following the verdict, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats called on Menendez to resign.
In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 16, 2024
Menendez was tried alongside two businessmen charged in the alleged scheme, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were found guilty on Tuesday as well. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged but wasn’t part of this trial; she was diagnosed with cancer and her trial is indefinitely delayed. A previous, unrelated bribery trial against the senator in 2017 ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict.
The longtime Democratic politician last month filed to run for re-election in November as an independent.
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This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
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