The bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) ended in a mistrial Nov. 16, which is seen as a major victory for the senator who fought 18 counts of alleged corruption. (Reuters)A federal judge Wednesday granted a request to acquit Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and a longtime friend of bribery charges against them days after the Justice Department said it would seek to retry a case that ended in a hung jury last year. Menendez and his co-defendant, Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor, had faced 18 counts of alleged corruption. Menendez’s months-long bribery trial ended in a mistrial on Nov. 16, which showed how difficult it can be for the federal government to pursue corruption cases. Menendez is the first sitting U.S. senator to face a federal bribery trial in more than three decades, according to the New York Times.

Source: Washington Post January 25, 2018 00:24 UTC