Federal prosecutor says Menendez jury was shown improper evidence in corruption trial

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday told a federal judge that the jury that convicted former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez in July was accidentally shown improper evidence during deliberations, but it should not impact the verdict.

Menendez resigned from the Senate in August after he was convicted on all 16 counts in his federal corruption case, including obstruction of justice, bribery, extortion, wire fraud and acting as a foreign agent charges. He pleaded not guilty to the crimes, and has vowed to appeal the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni on Wednesday warned that the jury mistakenly had access to nine pieces of evidence that should have been redacted during their deliberations. The incorrect versions were stored on the laptop the jurors used to view evidence.

Monteleoni said neither the defense nor prosecutors caught the mistake, and that it was unlikely jurors ever noticed the incorrect exhibit versions since they were just a handful of thousands of documents and exhibits on the computer.

“In sum, no action is required due to all parties’ inadvertent oversight,” Monteleoni said in a court filing.

Menendez has not reacted to the revelation so far, but is expected to be sentenced on Jan. 29, 2025.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.