NEW YORK CITY (AP) — New Jersey’s leading federal district attorney affirmed Wednesday at Sen. Bob Menendez ‘s bribery trial that the Democrat looked for to go over the prosecution of a New Jersey realty designer with him before suggesting him to the post after Joe Biden won the 2020 governmental election.
U.S. Lawyer Philip R. Sellinger’s discovery in statement that will continue Thursday represented the 2nd time in the five-week-old Manhattan federal court trial that a leading police figure has actually stated Menendez looked for to discuss a criminal case impacting a New Jersey entrepreneur.
Recently, a previous New Jersey attorney general of the United States affirmed that Menendez two times faced him about a pending criminal case impacting a New Jersey entrepreneur, and both times the attorney general of the United States declined to go over the topic.
District attorneys state attempting to intervene in criminal cases was one method Menendez, 70, attempted to reward business owners who paid him and his partner allurements of gold bars, 10s of countless dollars in money and a cars and truck.
When district attorneys charged Menendez, his partner and 3 business owners last fall, they stated in court documents that Menendez advised Sellinger as U.S. lawyer since he thought he might affect Sellinger to safeguard Fred Daibes, a popular New Jersey realty designer and long time good friend who dealt with federal criminal charges.
Daibes is standing trial with Menendez, together with another entrepreneur, Wael Hana. All 3 have actually pleaded innocent. A 3rd entrepreneur, Jose Uribe, finished 4 days on the witness stand on Wednesday after pleading guilty and accepting affirm versus the others.
A trial for Nadine Menendez was held off on Wednesday up until a minimum of August, depending upon the rate of her healing from surgical treatment for breast cancer. She too has actually pleaded innocent.
Sellinger, who has actually held New Jersey’s leading federal police post considering that December 2021, is not implicated of any misbehavior.
He affirmed that he had actually been pals with Menendez considering that the early 2000s when he started adding to his projects for Congress and held political fundraising events for him.
The relationship grew in time as they significantly had suppers together and played golf with their children, and Sellinger pertained to think that Menendez would choose him to be New Jersey’s leading federal district attorney if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 governmental race, he stated.
When Menendez got wed in the fall of 2020, Sellinger participated in the wedding event, where he likewise had actually seen Daibes, Sellinger affirmed.
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election for president, Sellinger stated he consulted with Menendez in his Washington workplace to speak about the U.S. lawyer post. He stated he shared his vision for the workplace.
Then, he stated, Menendez pointed out that Daibes had a criminal case which the senator thought he “was being dealt with unjustly.”
“And he stated he hoped that if I ended up being U.S. lawyer, I would take a look at it thoroughly,” Sellinger remembered.
Sellinger stated he informed Menendez that he didn’t understand anything about it which he prepared to take a look at all cases in his workplace thoroughly.
The following day, Sellinger stated, he called Menendez after remembering that he had actually handled a claim that was negative to Daibes while he remained in personal practice which the Justice Department may choose to recuse him from anything including Daibes as an outcome.
Sellinger remembered that Menendez stated he comprehended, however days later on, the senator informed him that the White Home desired numerous prospective prospects to be provided for election and he had actually chosen he would no longer suggest Sellinger for the post.
When Sellinger found out a couple of months later on that the individual in line to get the task was no longer going to get it, he stated he connected to Menendez to advise him that he was still interested.
He stated he then got a call from a political expert who had actually previously been director of Menendez’s New Jersey workplace and was inquired about his prepare for the U.S. lawyer’s workplace if he got the task.
Sellinger stated he duplicated what he had actually informed Menendez, consisting of that he anticipated he may be recused from the Daibes case as an outcome of his deal with the suit impacting him.
Nevertheless, however, Sellinger stated Menendez informed him in the spring that he was suggesting he be chosen for the task.
After he was sworn in, Sellinger stated, he referred his prospective dispute of interest relating to Daibes to the Justice Department in Washington on his very first day as U.S. lawyer and was informed the following week that he need to have absolutely nothing to do with the case.
3 months later on, he stated, the political expert asked to fulfill him for lunch and, after basic discussion about the task, stated he wished to ask him a concern.
“I stated: ‘Let me stop you there,’ ” Sellinger affirmed. “As U.S. lawyer, I’m not permitted to have any discussions about the main company of the workplace with any chosen federal authorities or their agents.”
Sellinger stated he called Menendez in spring 2022 to welcome him to speak at a public event commemorating Sellinger’s consultation as U.S. lawyer.
“He stated: ‘I’m going to pass,’ ” Sellinger remembered.
Sellinger stated the senator then stated: “The only thing even worse than not having a relationship with the United States lawyer is individuals believing you have a relationship with the United States lawyer and you don’t.”
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Lara Pomerantz asked him what he comprehended Menendez to be stating.
“We no longer had a relationship,” Sellinger stated.
On interrogation that will continue Thursday early morning, defense lawyer Avi Weitzman asked Sellinger if Menendez in the previous twenty years had actually ever asked him to do anything incorrect.
“I never ever thought him to be asking me to do anything incorrect or dishonest,” Sellinger addressed.