Bob Menendez’s corruption trial

After six weeks of testimony in New York federal court, prosecutors have maintained their case in the corruption trial of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.

The New Jersey Democrat is accused of accepting bribes, including gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for aid to foreign governments.

Menendez – previously the highest-ranking Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee – has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges against him.

If convicted, the 70-year-old could face decades in prison and be expelled from the Democratic Party.

Mr. Menendez’s lawyers have said they could call dozens of witnesses before they conclude their investigation.

Here are some highlights from the trial.

So far, prosecutors have used expert testimony, Menendez’s emails and text messages to highlight what they say is evidence that the senator accepted generous rewards from foreign governments.

For example, an FBI agent testified that Menendez’s Internet search history showed that he had repeatedly tried to determine the price of gold – including twice during a trip during which he and his wife, Nadine, visited Egypt and Qatar.

The agent testified that two of the gold bars that were later recovered came from gold owned by Fred Daibes, a real estate developer who is currently in a lawsuit with Mr. Menendez.

An FBI search of Mr Menendez’s home uncovered gold bars worth more than $100,000 (£78,800) as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

In opening statements, Mr. Menendez’s lawyer said the gold was bequeathed by Ms. Menendez’s relatives in the Middle East.

The jury was also shown a text message exchange in which Mr. Menendez asked a Qatari official for tickets for Ms. Menendez’s son to the Formula One Grand Prix in Miami. He finally received the tickets.

“Thank you!! Mr. Menendez wrote in response. “He is delighted and so is his mother.”

At the time of the text message exchange, Mr Daibes was in discussions about starting a business venture with a member of the Qatari royal family to whom Mr Menendez had introduced him.

In his opening statementMr. Menendez’s attorney, Avi Weitzman, sought to shift the blame to Ms. Menendez, who is on her own separate trial on bribery and corruption charges. She has pleaded not guilty.

Weitzman portrayed the Lebanese-born Ms. Menendez as a financially challenged person who hopes to “obtain cash and assets by any means possible” to solve her financial problems.

“I will say this about Nadine: Nadine had financial concerns that she didn’t tell Bob about,” Mr. Weitzman said.

Additionally, Weitzman said the two often led separate lives, with Menendez focusing more on his duty to his constituents.

“The government’s accusations that the senator sold out his office and his loyalty to the country are outrageously false,” he said. “Bob did his job and did it properly.”

Earlier this month, a jury heard testimony from two FBI investigators who said they overheard Mr. Menendez and his wife having dinner with three Egyptians, including a government official, at Morton’s The Steakhouse, an upscale restaurant in Manhattan.

The two-hour surveillance operation in May 2019 involved FBI investigators posing as a well-dressed couple sitting at Menendez’s table, as well as hidden cameras.

One of the FBI agents, Terrie Williams-Thompson, testified that she overheard Ms. Menendez asking the group, “What else can the love of my life do to you?” meaning the senator.

Before the jury took their seats, one of Mr. Menendez’s lawyers, Adam Fee, told the judge presiding over the case that there was “nothing unusual” about having dinner “with a diplomat or a friend.”

Mr. Menendez added that he eats at Morton’s about 250 nights a year.