Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial, conviction and 11-year sentence

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

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Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

21% left · 65% center · 14% right of 222 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 50 stories.

Every storyoldest first

1. January 2024

   Jan 2– 3Sen. Bob Menendez accused of accepting bribes to benefit Qatar in superseding federal indictment92 articles · 49 independent sources

   13 left, 14 center, 9 right
2. Jan 9– 10Sen. Bob Menendez seeks dismissal of criminal charges. His lawyers say prosecutors ‘distort reality’5 articles · 5 independent sources

   1 left, 4 center, 0 right
3. Jan 16Sen. Bob Menendez and wife seek separate trials on bribery charges11 articles · 11 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 1 right

4. February 2024

   Feb 14Sen. Menendez’s wife got engagement ring as part of bribery scheme, prosecutors allege in new filing5 articles · 5 independent sources

   0 left, 1 center, 2 right

5. March 2024

   Mar 1New Jersey businessman in Menendez case pleads guilty and cooperates with authorities27 articles · 23 independent sources

   8 left, 7 center, 4 right
6. Mar 5– 6New obstruction of justice charge levied against Sen. Bob Menendez in rewritten indictment54 articles · 45 independent sources

   8 left, 13 center, 9 right
7. Mar 11– 12Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to obstruction charges in new federal indictment36 articles · 24 independent sources

   3 left, 10 center, 3 right
8. Mar 21– 22New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez says he won't run in Democratic primary58 articles · 42 independent sources

   9 left, 11 center, 10 right

9. April 2024

   Apr 9– 10Sen. Bob Menendez's wife cites need for surgery in request to delay her trial9 articles · 8 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 2 right
10. Apr 10– 11Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife will have separate bribery trials, judge rules22 articles · 19 independent sources

    4 left, 6 center, 2 right
11. Apr 16– 17Court papers show Sen. Bob Menendez may testify his wife kept him in the dark, unaware of any crimes16 articles · 15 independent sources

    2 left, 7 center, 6 right
12. Apr 19Start of Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial is delayed a week to mid-May9 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 0 right

13. May 2024

    May 12– 14Jury selection to begin in corruption trial of NJ Sen. Bob Menendez48 articles · 34 independent sources

    8 left, 14 center, 3 right
14. May 12– 17Lawyer opens defense of Sen. Bob Menendez in his corruption trial by blaming his wife44 articles · 22 independent sources

    8 left, 12 center, 4 right
15. May 15Opening statements set to kick off second criminal trial for Sen. Bob Menendez27 articles · 20 independent sources

    3 left, 5 center, 3 right
16. May 16– 17Bob Menendez reveals wife has breast cancer as first evidence entered in his corruption trial37 articles · 26 independent sources

    4 left, 10 center, 3 right
17. May 22Sen. Bob Menendez trial takes weeklong break after jurors get stuck in elevator13 articles · 8 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
18. May 28– 30At Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial, prosecutors highlight NJ politician's wife's desperate finances9 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right

19. June 2024

    Jun 3– 5Sen. Bob Menendez files as independent for NJ Senate reelection amid bribery trial79 articles · 37 independent sources

    8 left, 18 center, 9 right
20. Jun 6Sen. Bob Menendez's wife is excused from court after cancer surgery6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
21. Jun 7– 11New Jersey businessman testifies that bribes paid off with Sen. Bob Menendez32 articles · 21 independent sources

    3 left, 9 center, 5 right
22. Jun 13New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testifies for government in Sen. Bob Menendez prosecution7 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
23. Jun 20– 21Gold bars and Sen. Bob Menendez's curiosity about their price takes central role at bribery trial13 articles · 13 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
24. Jun 28– Jul 1Sen. Bob Menendez’s defense begins with sister testifying about family tradition of storing cash10 articles · 8 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 2 right
25. Jun 28– 29US prosecutors in trial of Menendez rest case21 articles · 19 independent sources

    5 left, 11 center, 1 right

26. July 2024

    Jul 3– 4Bob Menendez declines to testify in his bribery trial as defense rests27 articles · 24 independent sources

    5 left, 7 center, 1 right
27. Jul 8– 9Sen. Bob Menendez 'sold the power of his office,' prosecutor says in closing argument28 articles · 17 independent sources

    3 left, 8 center, 2 right
28. Jul 8Closing arguments expected in Senator Bob Menendez's federal corruption trial7 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
29. Jul 10Sen. Bob Menendez's lawyer tells jury that prosecutors' bribery case 'dies here today'6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
30. Jul 11– 16Federal jury returns for third day of deliberations at bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez29 articles · 21 independent sources

    1 left, 10 center, 1 right
31. Jul 15– 16Trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of Sen. Bob Menendez, delayed indefinitely6 articles · 5 independent sources

    3 left, 1 center, 1 right
32. Jul 16– 18Democrats consider expelling Menendez from the Senate after conviction in bribery trial50 articles · 40 independent sources

    9 left, 12 center, 12 right
33. Jul 16– 17Sen. Bob Menendez convicted in bribery trial; New Jersey Democrat found guilty of accepting gold bars and cash120 articles · 69 independent sources

    16 left, 22 center, 12 right
34. Jul 22– 23Senate Ethics Committee starts review of Sen. Bob Menendez's conduct following bribery conviction - The Daily Reporter13 articles · 12 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 1 right
35. Jul 23– 24Sen. Bob Menendez to resign following conviction in federal corruption trial91 articles · 51 independent sources

    14 left, 21 center, 9 right

36. August 2024

    Aug 15– 16NJ governor names his former chief of staff to replace Bob Menendez53 articles · 27 independent sources

    6 left, 10 center, 6 right
37. Aug 20– 21New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez resigns from Senate after bribery convictions21 articles · 18 independent sources

    2 left, 5 center, 3 right

38. September 2024

    Sep 9– 10New Jersey Democrat George Helmy sworn in as replacement for Menendez in the Senate9 articles · 8 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 2 right

39. November 2024

    Nov 14Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
40. Nov 27– 28Ex-US Sen. Bob Menendez seeks new trial, citing prosecutors' recently admitted error7 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 2 right

41. December 2024

    Dec 26– 27Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, citing 'emotional toll,' seeks sentencing delay in wake of wife's trial20 articles · 19 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 2 right
42. Dec 31Judge denies sentencing delay for ex-Sen. Bob Menendez but puts his wife's trial off until February14 articles · 14 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 3 right

43. January 2025

    Jan 10Prosecutors seek 15 years in prison for former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez after bribery conviction16 articles · 15 independent sources

    5 left, 6 center, 2 right
44. Jan 29– 30Former Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery and corruption81 articles · 51 independent sources

    16 left, 21 center, 6 right

45. March 2025

    Mar 24Opening statements set for bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of ex-senator Bob Menendez7 articles · 7 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 0 right

46. April 2025

    Apr 18– 22Wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez convicted in bribery scheme50 articles · 34 independent sources

    6 left, 8 center, 9 right
47. Apr 18– 19Deliberations begin at bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 1 right

48. June 2025

    Jun 17N.J.'s ex-Sen. Bob Menendez to start 11-year prison term for bribery, corruption8 articles · 7 independent sources

    3 left, 2 center, 2 right

49. August 2025

    Aug 27Prosecutors seek seven-year prison term for wife of ex-senator Bob Menendez5 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 0 right

50. September 2025

    Sep 11Wife of disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced for her role in a bribery scheme32 articles · 28 independent sources

    10 left, 10 center, 3 right