The actions of Senator Bob Menendez are “a typical example of corruption on a large scale”, a federal prosecutor said yesterday in New York in the trial of the elected official, which is approaching the time of the verdict.

For prosecutor Paul Monteleoni, the case is very simple: Mr. Menendez, 70, was selling his influence for large sums of cash, gold bullion, luxury convertible cars

The veteran Democratic politician, until recently chairman of the powerful international affairs committee, vehemently denies the allegations, but his four-decade career now appears to be in ruins for good.

The dozen jurors, who were to retire for deliberations after the Democratic senator’s defense attorney concluded their arguments, could decide to impose up to 20 years in prison.

Facing criminal charges since September along with his wife and three of their alleged accomplices, Bob Menendez has heard some twenty charges against them, including corruption, improper influence-for-hire on behalf of Egypt and Qatar, and acting in he saw an agent of a foreign state.

The pair are accused in the case of receiving from 2018 to 2022 bribes worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in exchange for exercising their influence to “protect and enrich” three businessmen in the state of New Jersey — where the senator is elected — and to support the Egyptian government.

Democrats and independents in their caucus have a narrow majority in the Senate (51-49), which they hope to hold on to in the November elections. Hard battles are expected for at least 6 seats.

The state of New Jersey has elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972.