Jury selection has concluded in the bribery trial of Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, with opening statements set to commence this afternoon. Menendez faces charges of accepting bribes, such as gold bars and a luxury car, in exchange for advocating for U.S. aid and weapons to foreign governments.
Twelve jurors and six alternates have been chosen for the trial, with a notable development being the exclusion of a psychiatrist as a defense witness. The psychiatrist was intended to testify about the senator's actions of storing large sums of money in his New Jersey home, attributing it to past traumatic experiences including fleeing Cuba, his family's money being seized by the Cuban government, his father's suicide, and gambling debts. The psychiatrist cited these events as leading to what was termed as intergenerational trauma and a fear of scarcity.
