Sen. Bob Menendez declines to testify in his bribery trial because the protection rests

Protection attorneys in Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal bribery trial rested their case Wednesday with out his taking the stand.

Menendez, D-N.J., briefly spoke to reporters after he left the New York courthouse and defined his resolution to not testify.

“From my perspective, the federal government has did not show each side of this case,” he mentioned, including that he didn’t imagine testifying made sense and that he anticipated the jury to search out him not responsible.

Closing arguments are anticipated subsequent week.

Prosecutors have alleged that bribes within the type of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash had been uncovered throughout a search of Menendez’s dwelling in 2022, with “a lot of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothes, closets, and a secure,” in accordance with the indictment.

Additionally they mentioned the bribes had been paid from 2018 to 2022 by three businessmen in trade for official acts from Menendez as senator.

Menendez is standing trial with two of the businessmen — Wael Hana and Fred Daibes — after the third particular person, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify at trial as a part of a cope with prosecutors. Menendez’s spouse, Nadine Menendez, additionally faces expenses within the case. Her trial was postponed as she recovers from breast cancer surgery.

Menendez has pleaded not guilty to corruption expenses, together with bribery, performing as a overseas agent of Egypt and obstruction of justice. His spouse and the 2 different businessmen have additionally pleaded not guilty.

He stepped down as chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee shortly after he was indicted in September, however he has resisted calls from fellow Democrats for his resignation.

Menendez has served within the Senate since 2006. He filed final month to run for re-election as an independent and is anticipated to face Rep. Andy Kim, who won the Democratic Senate primary, and Republican nominee Curtis Bashaw in November.