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Senator Bob Menendez has been convicted on 16 federal charges, including bribery and fraud, after a nine-week trial. The FBI discovered gold bars and cash at his residence, linked to bribes for aiding Egypt. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged Menendez to resign.

United States Senator Bob Menendez, who has been advocating for sanctions against Uganda, was found guilty on Tuesday on all charges relating to corruption and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

The jury in the federal corruption trial of Senator Menendez, D-N.J., and his business associates, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, found Menendez guilty on all charges after a complex nine-week trial in Manhattan.

Menendez was convicted of 16 federal charges, including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction, following over 12 hours of deliberation over three days.

Prosecutors revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discovered gold bars and over $400,000 in cash hidden in various locations, including jackets and shoes, within his residence. They alleged that, in return for the bribes, Menendez facilitated millions of dollars in U.S. aid for Egypt.

Two businessmen are on trial for allegedly seeking Menendez’s assistance to benefit the Egyptian government and secure millions from a Qatari investment fund. A third businessman has pleaded guilty.

“This wasn’t politics as usual; this was politics for profit,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement, citing “shocking levels of corruption.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, immediately called for Menendez to resign following the conviction. “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said in a statement.

In September 2023, Menendez stepped down from his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were revealed.

Menendez’s conviction is one of several recent scandals in Congress. In December 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel New York Republican George Santos from Congress over lies, scandals, and alleged campaign finance crimes.

Menendez pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he accepted bribes in exchange for helping foreign governments. The conviction on all 16 counts could result in a sentence of over 200 years in prison, though such a sentence is unlikely. The judge scheduled the senator’s sentencing date for October 29, 2026.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to the verdict by calling on Menendez to resign. “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy echoed Schumer’s call in his statement. “Senator Menendez received a fair trial and due process of law as he was entitled to under our Constitution. I want to thank all the public servants who play crucial roles in our criminal justice system, including our law enforcement officials, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors, and judges. Their hard work ensured that these brazen crimes were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and our nation is grateful for their service,” Murphy said.

Menendez’s Stance on Uganda

In 2018, Menendez publicly called for the immediate release of Robert Kyagulanyi, leader of the National Unity Party (NUP), who had been arrested on treason charges. In 2022, Menendez petitioned President Joe Biden to take action against human rights abuses in Uganda, including torture and corruption, and called for sanctions on senior Ugandan officials involved in corruption or gross human rights violations. He also demanded transparency regarding holding facilities and accused government security agencies of torturing, injuring, and shooting unarmed people during the Kasese and Kampala riots in 2016 and 2020, respectively.