Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is one week into his second corruption trial in a decade. The senator managed to avoid conviction in his previous case, but this time the situation seems more dire. Menendez faces 18 criminal counts, and he isn’t alone. Two businessmen with ties to foreign governments and the senator’s wife, Nadine, have also been indicted. All four pleaded not guilty, but another associate pleaded guilty and is working with the prosecution.
Friday, May 17, marked the end of the first week in the federal corruption trial expected to last into July, yet just that first week delivered more drama and quirkiness than is often seen in the entire trial process. Whether this case results in prison time for the politician or not, it does seem likely his career in government is coming to an end. If this first week is any indication, however, the trial…
