Seven years ago, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez walked out of a federal courthouse.

His 11-week trial on corruption charges had ended in a hung jury, and the senator was triumphant.

First and above all, I want to thank God because it is by his grace that I was delivered from an

unjust prosecution. Menendez also had a message.

To those who were digging my political grave so that they could jump

into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget you.

For the last eight weeks, Menendez has been sitting in a New York courtroom facing corruption

charges again.

He's pleaded not guilty, and the jury is about to decide his fate. Our colleague

Corin Ramey has been following the trial. What's most interesting to you about

this case?

I mean, I think I've always been interested in public corruption cases.

This is a particularly colorful one, I think.

We have the gold bars, we have cash stuffed in boots, we have all kinds of, you know, a

reclining chair as an alleged bribe, just very sort of colorful details.

But particularly because these cases are so tricky for prosecutors, you know, prosecutors

will say things like the public corruption is common,

it's rampant, but yet charging these cases and then convincing a jury of these kind of offenses is really hard.

Prosecutors have to prove a quid pro quo that a politician say used the official power of his or her office in exchange for gifts or benefits or

benefits or campaign contribution. gifts or are asking the jury to make inferences about sort of his knowledge and whether one thing was

exchanged for another.

Welcome to the journal, our show about money, business, and power.

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