Menendez Mistrial

[Ben]

I thought we had a Menendez thread going, but I guess not. Anyhow, he's out via mistrial. Seems like, based on articles I've read, there was some bullpucky going on with the jury.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/16/judge-declares-mistrial-in-menendez-case.html

[Hawkmoon]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/11/16/menendez_to_those_who_were_digging_my_political_grave_i_know_who_you_are.html

And Menendez acts like it was an acquittal. I hope they try him again.

[HankB]

When a juror has to ask the judge "What is a senator?" you know there's some funny stuff going on.

[RoadKingLarry]

I thought we had a Menendez thread going, but I guess not. Anyhow, he's out via mistrial. Seems like, based on articles I've read, there was some bullpucky going on with the jury.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/16/judge-declares-mistrial-in-menendez-case.html

It's New Jersey. What did you expect?

[French G.]

I imagine one hardcore Dem who was going to sit on the jury and say no, no matter what. Given everything else that is going on, retry should happen, but really get the under age hooker thing front and center in the news again. Fine time since the Senate finally has standards and ethics thanks to Roy Moore.

[Northwoods]

I imagine one hardcore Dem who was going to sit on the jury and say no, no matter what. Given everything else that is going on, retry should happen, but really get the under age hooker thing front and center in the news again. Fine time since the Senate finally has standards and ethics thanks to Roy Moore.

I heard it was 10-2 in favor of acquittal.

[Hawkmoon]

I heard it was 10-2 in favor of acquittal.

I read that, too. That's going to put a damper on chances of a retrial.

Apparently the judge had both sides' attorneys sit in when he interviewed the jurors, so the attorneys both know what the jurors were thinking. (Or, at least, what they said they were thinking.) Unless the government thinks it can make a case convincing enough to overcome whatever weaknesses they heard being mentioned, there won't be a retrial. The fact that Menendez is already making "I know who you are" noises suggests that his lawyers don't think the government is likely to try again.

[Pb]

So- I haven't been following this- does he appear to be guilty or innocent?

[grampster]

Menendez is chomping at the bit to provide paybacks.  One wonders if the Senate will convene an ethics investigation and expel him.  The burden would not be as high to do that.  The info about Menendez reveals his corruption, but perhaps not to the level to prove beyond a reasonable doubt is a crime.  I have a hunch he's probably got a lot of dirt on many senators on both sides of the aisle.  Likely nothing will happen, though.  I wouldn't be surprised that Menendez will be taken aside and told to put aside his venom and STFU as it would add to the revelations about how corrupt the Congress is in general.

[RoadKingLarry]

So- I haven't been following this- does he appear to be guilty or innocent?

He's a Democrat senator from New Jersey and his "partner in crime" has already been convicted.
Figure the odds.

[grampster]

He's a Democrat senator from New Jersey and his "partner in crime" has already been convicted.
Figure the odds.

I believe the jury probably wasn't allowed to hear most of the evidence, especially that his buddy was convicted.

[Pb]

Apparently, it is not enough to prove that a congressman has been taking lots of free gifts from a person... they have to prove the congressman was taking them in exchange for a specific favor.  That sound incredibly difficult to "prove."

[Angel Eyes]

Apparently, it is not enough to prove that a congressman has been taking lots of free gifts from a person... they have to prove the congressman was taking them in exchange for a specific favor.  That sound incredibly difficult to "prove."

That's the Clinton Foundation's business model.

[Angel Eyes]

Thread necro:  everything old is new again.

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/22/1201038817/robert-menendez-indicted

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was indicted Friday on corruption charges in Manhattan, N.Y., following a federal investigation that claimed he allegedly accepted luxury goods and large sums of money in bribes in exchange for committing corrupt acts, including providing sensitive information to the government of Egypt.
...
In exchange, the Menendez couple received bribes that included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other things of value, the indictment claims.

Not really related, but Gun Owners of America tweeted this Menendez shortly after the story broke:

https://twitter.com/GunOwners/status/1705259309251076274

GOA has 10 gold bars for any Democrat who introduces a bill to repeal the NFA! 👏

[Angel Eyes]

[Ben]

Interesting:

https://twitchy.com/dougp/2023/09/22/well-well-well-look-who-sen-menendez-emailed-to-request-a-meeting-at-then-vp-bidens-residence-n2387613

[HankB]

So six years ago Menendez skated, and got re-elected. And it sounds like he IMMEDIATELY resumed taking bribes.

I've read that a lot of politicians aren't really smart - this tends to confirm it.

I found the latest story that his wife was also arrested for bribery interesting - I'll be waiting to find out how they'll be charging someone who isn't an elected official. (Maybe for failure to register as a foreign agent? Or as an accessory to bribing a senator?)

[Ben]

RACISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://twitchy.com/coucy/2023/09/22/menendez-responds-to-calls-for-resignation-theyre-after-me-because-im-a-latino-n2387623

[HankB]

RACISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://twitchy.com/coucy/2023/09/22/menendez-responds-to-calls-for-resignation-theyre-after-me-because-im-a-latino-n2387623

Usually there's a countdown: 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . RACISM!!

Now it's a much shorter count: 5 . . . 4 . . . RACISM!!

[Boomhauer]

So six years ago Menendez skated, and got re-elected. And it sounds like he IMMEDIATELY resumed taking bribes.

I've read that a lot of politicians aren't really smart - this tends to confirm it.

I found the latest story that his wife was also arrested for bribery interesting - I'll be waiting to find out how they'll be charging someone who isn't an elected official. (Maybe for failure to register as a foreign agent? Or as an accessory to bribing a senator?)

They ain’t gotta be smart when nothing actually ever happens to the rat bastards.

[WLJ]

RACISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://twitchy.com/coucy/2023/09/22/menendez-responds-to-calls-for-resignation-theyre-after-me-because-im-a-latino-n2387623

While Hispanic

[Ben]

Man, the leftists are doing this all over the place now. First with New Mexico, now here:

https://twitchy.com/dougp/2023/09/23/menendez-spin-from-rubin-vindman-and-others-is-just-coincidentally-exactly-the-same-n2387643

They simply don't even care that everyone knows that they cut and paste the identical message.

[WLJ]

Menendez found guilty on all charges

The jury in the federal corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and two of his business associates, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, found Menendez guilty on all charges after a grueling nine-week complex trial in Manhattan.

Menendez pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he accepted an array of bribes in exchange for helping foreign governments. Jurors deliberated for three days.

Now lets see how the sentencing goes

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on all charges in federal corruption trial
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-bob-menendezs-federal-corruption-trial-verdict

[Angel Eyes]

Saw the subject line and my first thought was Erik and/or Lyle.