Sen. Menendez bribery trial starts with judge scolding lawyers on 'gamesmanship'

• A judge admonished attorneys for what he called "gamesmanship" shortly after they convened for the start of the federal bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
• The senator is accused of accepting cash, gold bars and other gifts in exchange for official acts.
• His wife, Nadine Menendez, is also charged in the corruption case, but her trial was severed from her husband's due to what her lawyers said were medical issues.

A judge on Monday admonished attorneys about playing legal games shortly after they convened for the start of the federal bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

"There's been too much gamesmanship here," Judge Sidney Stein told prosecutors and defense attorneys before jury selection began for the trial in federal court in Manhattan.

"Everybody has to operate in good faith here," Stein said, adding, "I'm not sure I've seen that."

Menendez, 70, wearing a dark suit and striped red tie with his gold senator's pin on his lapel, listened silently in the courtroom.

Two of his co-defendants, New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, sat behind him. Jose Uribe, a third businessman who was charged in the case, pleaded guilty March 1 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

The judge's stern words shut down an exchange about some evidence that could be used in the trial of the once-powerful senator, who is accused of accepting cash, gold bars and other gifts in exchange for official acts.

Prosecutors allege Menendez took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from New Jersey businessmen to benefit them and the countries of Egypt and Qatar.

Menendez was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but stepped down from that role following his indictment in September 2023.

He has pleaded