Our state has witnessed some laughable corruption from politicians who seem to think they won’t get caught, unlike Sen. Bob Menendez, who was accused of taking gold bars as bribes.
Eight years ago, when Menendez avoided conviction on corruption charges, he boldly threatened his political enemies outside a federal courthouse in Newark. The jury couldn’t decide if he was guilty, leading to a mistrial. Menendez acted as if he was cleared and warned politicians eyeing his Senate seat, “To those who were digging my political grave, I know who you are and I won’t forget you.”
However, Menendez’s tone was different on Tuesday after being found guilty of taking bribes, obstructing justice, and acting as a foreign agent. He expressed confidence in an appeal, stating, “I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”
It’s uncertain if the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold Menendez’s conviction if he appeals, especially given its recent leniency toward public corruption. For now, New Jersey politicians are reminded that they can’t take bribes, interfere in criminal cases, threaten public officials, or use their influence to secure investments from foreign leaders. They might not escape punishment by blaming others.
Will New Jersey politicians learn from this? Michael Thorning, director at the Bipartisan Policy Center, believes the verdict could serve as a deterrent. He said, “This verdict suggests that engaging in such activities is not without consequences, and you can still be convicted and face jail time.”
Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call, but I’m not optimistic. Our state has seen bizarre corruption, like a mayoral candidate taking cash in a Baskin-Robbins bag and claiming it wasn’t a bribe because he wasn’t elected yet. There’s also frequent, less obvious dishonorable behavior that goes unnoticed.
More likely, I fear, New Jersey politicians will think that as long as their corruption isn’t as blatant as accepting gold bars, they’ll be safe.