[MYSANANTONIO] In a big defeat for Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, the judge at his corruption trial Monday refused to throw out any of the charges against him in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling narrowing the definition of bribery.The decision by U.S. District Judge Williams Walls was a major victory for federal prosecutors, who had warned that dismissing the charges would torpedo nearly all other bribery cases and open the door wide to graft.
Walls rejected defense lawyers' arguments that the allegations against Menendez didn't meet the new, narrower definition of bribery under the 2016 Supreme Court ruling that reversed the conviction of Republican former Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia. In recent months, the McDonnell ruling led judges to throw out bribery convictions of at least three other former public officials, including a former Louisiana congressman.
Just days ago, the judge in Menendez's case appeared to be leaning toward a ruling in the senator's favor.