Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, exits federal court in New York, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Menendez is "only the seventh sitting U.S. senator to be convicted of a federal crime"

(Image credit: Yuki Iwamura / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 17 July 2024

What happened

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted on 16 counts stemming from a "sweeping scheme to sell his office to foreign powers and crooked businessmen," The New York Times said. Menendez is "only the seventh sitting U.S. senator to be convicted of a federal crime."

Who said what

The conviction marks a "dramatic downfall" for a politician once considered "one of the most influential people in Washington D.C.," Politico said. The verdict is a "win for the Justice Department," which failed to convict Menendez in a separate case in 2015, Roll Call said.

After being found guilty by a New York jury on Tuesday, Menendez told reporters that he was "deeply disappointed" and that the decision would "put at risk every member of the United States Senate, in terms of what they think a foreign agent would be."

What next?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on Menendez to "do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign."

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.