More than four dozen prospective jurors have been dismissed in Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) bribery trial over the past two days, pushing a New York federal court’s efforts to seat a jury into its third day.
Menendez spent most of Tuesday sitting by himself at a defense table as jurors who claimed they could not serve were interviewed by Judge Sidney H. Stein.
Reasons ranged from medical troubles to work commitments and travel. Others claimed they had heard about the bribery trial and could not be impartial.
“I’m a news junkie, and I’ve learned about the case already significantly. I knew it was Bob Menendez the second I walked in,” one juror said.
Stein said most people had heard of Menendez before asking if the juror could still decide the case based on trial testimony. The juror, identified only by number, said he could, according to the Associated Press.
Menendez, 70, has been charged with bribery, extortion, fraud, and obstruction of justice, along with acting as a foreign agent of Egypt.
Prosecutors allege he took bribes of cash, gold, and a luxury car in exchange for using his considerable political influence to help secure military sales for Egypt and to promote Qatari interests.
He is also charged with accepting gold, cash, and gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz convertible for his wife, from a New Jersey real estate developer in exchange for the senator to have unrelated federal bank charges against the real estate agent go away.
Menendez has since stepped down as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee but has not resigned from Congress.
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There is a list of high-profile politicians that could be called to the stand, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Stein said Tuesday. Other potential witnesses included former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
Menendez has pleaded not guilty.
