Prosecutors try to link alleged bribes of Sen. Bob Menendez to appointment of federal prosecutor

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors at the trial of Sen. Bob Menendez are using the testimony of his former campaign manager to try to link alleged bribes of the Democrat to the appointment of New Jersey’s top prosecutor. Testimony Tuesday by Michael Soliman, a former top Menendez political adviser, came after New Jersey’s U.S. attorney, Philip Sellinger, finished testifying at the Manhattan federal court trial. Soliman said Sellinger told him in spring 2021 to relay to Menendez that he no longer believed he had to recuse himself from a criminal case Menendez had asked him to look into. Menendez recommended Sellinger be appointed and he became U.S. attorney months later.