All
Guilty
Verdicts In
Menendez
Bribery Trial
Gold Bar Bob
Is Guilty But
Vows to Appeal
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 16 – 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
On July 15, the
jury sent out questions about
unanimity and about the Qatar
and Daibes counts, but did not
reach a verdict by 5 pm. On
his way to his car Menendez
said in Spanish that hte
jurors not see things are not
so simple. Thread
On July 16, just
after noon, the verdicts: all
guilty. Afterward Inner City
Press live streamed Menendez's
vow to appeal. Now Gold Bar
Bob Is Guilty book coming.
Thread:
As the lawyers
and defendants take their
places in the courtroom, Bob
Menendez is leaning back in
his chair, resting his arms on
the chair's arms.
All rise!
Judge Sidney H. Stein: Please
be seated in the court room.
We have a note from 12:33 pm,
We have a verdict. I want no
outbursts of any sort. The
quiet should reflect the
solemnity of the occasion.
Jury entering! [Jurors
file in]
Judge Stein: You
may be seated in the
courtroom... Foreperson, as
the jury reached a verdict?
Foreperson: We
have, your Honor. Judge: I
will inspect it for
regularity.
Foreperson:
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Released on bond. Guilty.
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Guilty. Guilty. Released on
bond. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Released on bond.
Foreperson: Guilty. Guilty.
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Guilty. Released on bond.
Guilty. Guilty. [Actions to
benefit Fred Daibes and Qatar:
Count 13].
Released on bond.
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Guilty. Guilty.
Guilty. Judge
Stein: Please be seated
[As jury is polled and
confirms guilty verdicts, now
Bob Menendez rest his head in
his hand, looking over at the
jurors.]
Judge Stein:
Deputy, I direct you to file
and record the verdict.
Jurors, you followed the
testimony closely. We
projected six to seven weeks
and we've done nine weeks. You
are discharged with the
appreciation of the court.
[Jurors leave.]
Judge Stein: I
have chosen for sentencing
October 29 - 2 pm for Mr.
Hana, 2:45 for Mr. Daibes and
3:30 pm for Mr.
Menendez.
AUSA Richenthal:
On Mr. Hana, we are for home
incarceration. And $237,000 in
one kilogram gold bars, and
luxury watches. GX 3K-2
Hana's lawyer Lustberg: Mr.
Hana came back from Egypt,
he's been on GPS
monitoring.
Judge: What is
the current curfew? Lustberg:
8 am to 9 pm.
Judge: So it's really the
reverse, in from 9 pm to 8 am.
Do you have his
passports? Lustberg:
Only a US passport Menendez's
lawyer Fee: We are going to
reserve under Rule 29 and
33. Hana's lawyer
Lustberg: We request 30 days
not 14 days.
Judge Stein: I'll
extend it to August 19. It was
very well tried.
Judge Stein: Thank you.
Adjourned.
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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