Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and two businessmen from New Jersey have requested a federal judge to either overturn their convictions or grant them a new trial.
This request comes as Menendez prepares to resign from the Senate on August 20.
A jury found Menendez guilty on 16 counts on July 16, including bribery, conspiracy, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction of justice.
In his motion for acquittal filed on August 19, the senator claims that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence against him.
“The government stated that it would prosecute Sen. Menendez for his alleged agreements to sell official acts in exchange for bribes. However, despite a 10-week trial, the government presented no actual evidence of an agreement; only speculation disguised as inference,” states the motion.
Menendez’s attorneys also argue that the government violated his rights under the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause by encroaching upon limited immunity granted to congressional lawmakers for their speech.
Prosecutors accused Menendez and his wife of accepting over $400,000 in bribes—consisting of cash, gold bars, and a car—from New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, and Jose Uribe.
In return for these bribes, it is alleged that Menendez used his position in office to benefit both the businessmen’s interests and those of the Egyptian government. However, according to Menendez’s defense team, this claim was not proven by prosecutors during trial.