Fox News analyst Gregg Jarrett said Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey has to explain “smoking gun evidence” in his upcoming bribery trial.
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Menendez and his wife, Nadine, on three counts Friday, according to a release by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Menendez and his wife allegedly received cash and gold bars from three New Jersey businessmen in return for aiding the Egyptian government, according to the indictment. (RELATED: ‘You Should Be Appalled’: Dem Rep Calls For Indicted Dem Senator To Resign)
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“The trouble here is the smoking gun evidence is going to be incredibly hard for Menendez to explain when they raided his home,” Jarrett told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow. “He has a treasure trove – cash stuffed in envelopes jammed in clothing with his name embroidered on it. And here’s the thing, incriminating fingerprints and DNA show who gave it to them, so he can’t just say, ‘hey, this came from a legitimate source.’ He’s stuck with this.”
Menendez announced he would step down “temporarily” as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee in the wake of the indictment.
“He’s been dogged by bribery and corruption allegations his entire political career,” Jarrett said. “But this indictment, 38 pages, Larry, stunningly detailed about how Menendez and his wife used his powerful public office and influence to betray U.S. government military secrets to Egypt, confer benefits in exchange for cold hard cash.”
Menendez faced trial in 2017 over corruption allegations that ended with a hung jury.
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