Closing arguments wrap up in Sen. Menendez corruption trial; deliberations begin Friday
The case is expected to be given to the jury for deliberations by 12 p.m. Friday.
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Jurors at the Sen. Bob Menendez trial heard closing arguments from the third and final defendant in the case, with deliberations soon to follow.
The case is expected to be given to the jury for deliberations by 12 p.m. Friday.
Fred Daibes has been accused of bribing the senator and his wife with the hope that Menendez would interfere and help with a bank fraud charge he was facing.
Jurors are being reminded Daibes and Menendez are friends of over 30 years. His attorney describes Daibes as a generous man who is known to give wedding gifts of $25,000 to friends. A man, his attorney claims, was never trying to bribe his friend, Sen. Menendez.
The prosecution has accused Menendez of reaching out to Phil Sellinger just before Sellinger took the post of U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, on behalf of Fred Daibes. Daibes was trying to beat a bank fraud charge leveled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Daibes' defense attorney reminded jurors today that when Sellinger took the stand at this trial, he said:
“He didn’t feel pressured (by Menendez) in any way.”
“No one testified that they felt Mr. Menendez asked them to do anything improper.”
Defense attorney Cesar De Castro said to jurors that the prosecution is asking them to speculate and assume that the envelopes of thousands of dollars in cash — with Daibes fingerprints and DNA and the gold from Daibes own inventory, found in Bob and Nadine’s Englewood Cliff’s home — were part of bribes.
If that’s true, De Castro asked jurors: "where is the evidence?"
“Where is the message that says I’m paying you to make my case go away?”
“Why would Mr. Daibes, a friend, have to bribe a friend at all?”
All three attorneys for the defendants have now presented closing arguments. Next up, rebuttal by the prosecution. The jury will then be given instructions on the charges before deliberations.
