"A jury in this courthouse convicted Senator Robert Menendez of corruption and national security offenses," Williams said during a press conference. "This case has always been about shocking levels of corruption... This wasn't politics as usual. This was politics for profit. And now that a jury has convicted Bob Menendez, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Menendez to resign after a US jury convicted him on 16 charges for accepting bribes to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez was accused of committing bribery, wire fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction of justice. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Prosecutors said that Menendez received bribes in exchange for using his authority to assist the Qatari government and benefit Egypt. Prosecutors also accuse Menendez’s wife of engaging in a scheme to return the alleged bribe money under the guise of loan repayment.
Menendez stepped down from his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when his legal troubles began, and he's currently running for reelection as an independent candidate.