In
Menendez Trial
Week Ends
Without
Verdict so Bob
Cites Faith in
God and the
Jury
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 12 – Amid reports of
investigation against Sen.
Robert Menendez for taking
gold bars, Inner City Press'
sources on September 21 it to
expect on Friday, September 22
an appearance in Federal court
in Manhattan by Menendez and
his wife Nadine Arslanian. This
scoop
was true.
Later a
superseder was unveiled,
including charges of bribes to
act for Qatar...
On April 11, 2024
after Nadine Menendez and then
the government asked for
delay, to July or undefined,
Judge Stein severed her case
and reaffirmed May 6, Inner
City Press thread
On Sunday night
April 14 the US wrote in again
asking for a delay to July,
six page letter on Patreon here.
But Judge Stein
told the parties to confer and
report by April 16 at 1 pm.
Then he set an April 17
conference, which Inner City
Press live tweeted and dubbed
"Berate-gate," thread
On May 13, jury
selection began - but did not
finish. Abit later, Menendez
got into an car with FOP NJ
plates.
On May 14 jury
selection continued but was
not yet completed, from the
ending, thread
Late on May 14,
the US Attorney's Office filed
opposition to slides the
defense wants to use in its
opening arguments, including
quotes from Colin Powell and
MLK, and when Nadine came into
possession of gold - full
letter on Patreon here
Inner City Press
live tweeted jury selection
and then opening arguments here,
then filmed Bob's exit (he
said he thought it went well
and that his guy did great).
On May 21, the US
Attorney's Office put on Wael
Hana's lawyer, then a US State
Department official working on
Congressional approval (or
holds) on arms transfer to
Egypt, thread here.
On May 23, with
the trial in haitus, docketed
was Menendez' lawyers
opposition to quashing his
subpoena for Jose Uribe's
attorney proffer and
communications with SDNY
prosecutors, filing on Patreon
here
On May 29, Inner
City Press live tweeted,
omitting Morton's steakhouse
but including this
On May 30,
Menendez's lawyer's (long)
cross, including this.
On May 31,
starting 1 pm, the agent was
cross examined, and then USDA
Ted McKinney on direct, thread
After the
trial day, Inner City Press
filed Menendez' walk to his
Jersey-plated car; asked why
he called McKinney he said,
Wait for the cross
[examination].
Nadine Menendez
hired a new lawyer, who
previously represented Sydney
Powell among others. Then
this: "ORDER as to Nadine
Menendez: At the request of
the defendant and with the
consent of the government
[Doc. No. 434], the status
conference is adjourned from
June 10 to June 12 at 5 :00
p.m.(Signed by Judge Sidney H.
Stein on 6/3/2024)."
On June 4 Judge
Stein dockted a partially
redacted Order in which he
denied Menendez's request that
the prosecutors give him
impeachment material about a
Confidential Human Source they
are not going to call as a
witness - but Menendez said he
will.
On June 5, Inner
City Press live tweeted - and
afterward asked Menendez a
question. Thread.
On June 6, after
more cross of Agent Graves,
Gurbir Grewal testified, thread
On June 7, after
an FBI fingerprint expert,
cooperator Jose Uribe, Inner
City Press live tweeted, thread
On June 10, Uribe
finished his direct
examination around 4 pm, then
counsel for Hana, not yet
Menendez, began cross
examination, thread.
On June 11, Uribe
was cross examined - though
not on the "strip club issue"
after which out on Worth
Street Menendez decried
Uribe's crimes. Thread
On June 12, after
the end of Uribe (including
drunk driving and the "little
bell"), US Attorney of NJ
Sellinger took the stand, thread.
On June 13, trial
day - and next day - was
canceled by Daibes calling in
with COVID: thread.
And then, book:
GOLD BAR BAR Menendez Trial I,
on Amazon here.
On June 18, after
Daibes' COVID, things resumed
with Sellinger, followed by
Matt Soliman.
On June 20,
alongside an FBI agent summary
witness, a prosecution office
witness out of order, thread.
On June 24,
Menendez's staffer Sarah Arkin
took the stand, from the thread
On June 25, Sarah
Arkin finished up, including
about upcoming job at State
Department. Then, a currency
(and money laundering) expert
from the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York. From the thread
On June 26, there
testimony about currency, and
then a jocular Armenian
jeweler, from the thread
On June 27, the
Senate Ethics Committee
director, then a cell site
expert, from the thread
On June 28, the
last US witness, on Menendez's
M&T account, and gold in
Nadine's Chase Bank safety
deposit box, thread
On July 1 the
defense case began, his and
Nadine's sisters amid a flurry
of motions, thread
On July 2, at 5
instead of 4 pm, rapid rulings
on exhibits to set up
Menendez's defense resting on
Friday, thread
On July 3, Team
Menendez rested (then outside
court Menendez said the US had
not proved its case so he
didn't testify), thread
On July 8, after
a Hana witness and charge
conference, half of the
prosecutors' closing, thread
On July 9, the
rest of the prosecution's
summation, then Menendez's
lawyer Adam Fee, not yet
finishing (and Menendez silent
on his way to his car), from
the thread
On July 10, more
of Menendez's closing, then
all of Hana's, and the first
part of Daibes - then on the
sidewalk, Menendez himself
spoke of the government's
"lies" - thread
On July 11,
Daibes' lawyer then a lengthy
rebuttal, some instructions -
thread
On July 12, Judge
Stein finished his legal
instruction, then the jury
deliberated from 2 to 5 pm, no
verdict. Afterward Menendez on
the sidewalk said, "I have
faith in God and in the jury."
Thread:
Judge
Stein: The defendant named in
Counts 5 and 11 is simply
Senator Menendez, no one out.
You can go through the verdict
sheet in any order you want,
it's entirely up to you.
Judge Stein: Giving a gift to
a public official to gain good
will is not Federal bribery -
there has to be a quid pro
quo... But, the simple offer
of giving can be just as much
a crime as the actual giving.
The payment need not be
directly to the public
official During a pause
AUSA Richenthal:
I notice that people are not
being allowed [back] into the
courtroom. Judge: It's so the
jurors can focus on the
charge. But I'll change it
right now - I'll tell the CSOs
people can come and go as they
please
Judge Stein:
Jurors, if you want additional
information, sent a note, as
specific as you can. But if
you ask for three days of
testimony, it might take three
days. You have that right. We
have a computer that's been
loaded with the exhibits
Judge Stein: It's my practice
to name Juror 1 the
foreperson, unless you don't
want to do it. At the end, you
put the verdict sheet in an
envelope and pass it out.
We'll assemble everyone in
open court, it's a formal
proceeding. I am not excusing
the 5 alternates Judge
Stein: Enjoy your lunch and
don't deliberate over it.
You'll start that at 2 pm
[jurors exit to jury room]
AUSA Richenthal:
You did not say that Dutchess
County is in SDNY. But I don't
think anything happened there.
Judge Stein: I learned about
the waterways [Verrazano
Bridge is in SDNY, he said -
who knew] Judge Stein: I'll
see everyone in an hour.
They're back.
Jury entering! Judge: Marshal,
please come forward to be
sworn... Ladies and gentlemen,
now I'm directing you to begin
deliberating. The Marshal will
hand you a copy of the verdict
sheet. We're here as long as
you want - if you want to stay
past 5 Judge: Send a
note if you want to stay past
5. If not I'll bring you in
and send you home for the
weekend, not to read any
publicity, and return Monday.
[12 jurors "retire" to jury
room]
Judge:
Alternates, you have been here
9 weeks Judge: You may
be called back to replace - it
happened this morning in
another trial [story with
extra: Guo Trial Juror Googled
William Je Then Removed in
Sealed Proceeding
Judge: The
lawyers should stay close.
[Book Stories w/ extras, like
on X for Subscribers: w/
documents: Thread will
continue
Judge Stein: It's
5 pm now. We have given them a
wire to hook up the laptop.
But I am going to have them
come in and let them go for
the weekend. Jury
entering! Judge Stein: I
understand you can't stay. So,
you may leave for the weekend.
Don't view any social media
about the case. We'll see you
on Monday. Jury exits.
Judge: Enjoy the weekend. I'll
see everyone Monday.
More on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is US v.
Menendez, et al., 23-cr-490
(Stein)
More
on Substack here
***
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