The defense team for Sen. Bob Menendez wants to call a psychiatrist to testify that the New Jersey Democrat is suffering from “generational trauma” and it’s that condition, not bribery, that led to him having 13 gold bars and $480,000 at his home.
He goes on trial May 13, accused of leveraging his political sway for personal gain, purportedly accepting bribes, including cash, gold bars worth $100,000, and a luxury Mercedes.
However, his attorneys want to call Dr. Karen Rosenbaum to testify that his father’s suicide led to “generational trauma and a habit to hoard reserves” as the reason for the stash, found by feds when they raided the Democrat’s home in June 2022.
Federal prosecutors are balking. “Rosenbaum’s explanation of why Menendez stored cash in his home appears to be little more than an impermissible attempt to offer hearsay statements of the defendant, and to seek to engender sympathy based on his family background, in the guise of expert testimony,” prosecutors wrote, according to the New York Post and Washington Examiner.
Further, prosecutors say, Bob Menendez’s father died nearly 50 years ago.
He was indicted in September, and he stands accused alongside his wife, Nadine Menendez, of accepting substantial bribes while allegedly using his influence to benefit businessmen in New Jersey and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
It was reported last month that he may implicate his wife. A legal filing by his attorneys implied the senator could potentially testify regarding communications with his wife, suggesting she may have withheld crucial information or misled him about the legality of their actions. A judge postponed Nadine Menendez’s trial until July over a medical condition.
Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, accused of being recipients of Sen. Menendez’s favors, are being tried alongside him. Another businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and is cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Menendez, his wife, Daibes, and Hana have all pleaded not guilty.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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