Attorneys for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey are arguing before a judge that the corruption case against him should be dismissed.
The government contends in the 22-count indictment that Menendez accepted cash and gifts from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen in exchange for his political influence. Menendez and Melgen filed more than a dozen motions last month to dismiss the indictment.
Their lawyers argued Thursday in Newark that the grand jury was biased, prosecutors used hearsay evidence without giving a complete picture of what happened, and that salacious material was introduced to inflame the grand jury.
Among their claims are that Menendez wasn't advocating on behalf of Melgen's business interests when he met with various government officials, but instead was pursuing legitimate policy objectives.
