The conviction of Sen. Menendez in Washington is monumental. He was one of the untouchables. Despite long being viewed as corrupt, Menendez wielded power with abandon for his own benefit...
...The problem was the defense theory. Menendez tried to convince the jury that this was a "Cuban thing." They clearly viewed it as a "corruption thing"...
...The images of gold bars and cash stuffed in clothes is difficult to overcome with a cultural claim. Yet, this conviction is an indictment of the Washington establishment. Menendez was always viewed as a corrupt figure but he was still given powerful positions that he used for corrupt purposes...
...Sentencing is likely to be crushing. He will face an aggravator as someone who betrayed an office of public trust. He has little to offer in terms of mitigators. While the counts will run concurrently, he is facing at a long likely sentence. At his age, a long term could be a terminal sentence.
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