“From the very beginning, I never wavered in my innocence…”
Weeks after prosecutors announced they would seek a retrial in the corruption case against Senator Robert Menendez (D-N. J.), the Justice Department has moved to dismiss the remaining charges, according to The New York Times.
Sen. Menendez faced multiple charges of corruption related to accusations that he accepted bribes in the form of campaign contributions, use of a private jet, and other gifts from Dr. Salomon Melgen, who was also charged.
Last week, Judge William H. Walls decided to acquit Sen. Menendez of seven of the 18 charges he had faced. The Justice Department cited the decision in its motion to dismiss the remaining charges.
“Given the impact of the court’s Jan. 24 order on the charges and the evidence admissible in a retrial, the United States has determined that it will not retry the defendants on the remaining charges,” said Nicole Navas, Department of Justice spokeswoman.
The trial of Sen. Menendez and Dr. Melgen ended in a mistrial in November after the jury declared that they could not reach a unanimous decision. According to The Times, the jury was deadlocked 10 to 2 favoring the defendants’ acquittal.
Despite the fact that he was still under indictment at the time, Sen. Menendez saw the mistrial as proof enough that he was innocent. After the Justice Department announced the intent to dismiss the remaining charges, he voiced his approval and gratitude for the decision in a statement.
“From the very beginning, I never wavered in my innocence and my belief that justice would prevail,” Sen. Menendez said in the statement responding to the dismissal of the charges. “I am grateful that the Department of Justice has taken the time to re-evaluate its case and come to the appropriate conclusion.”
