New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial begins. Here's what to know.
CBSN
Washington — For the second time in his career, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is heading to trial on corruption charges. This time, he's fighting allegations that he traded his political influence for cash, gold bars and a new Mercedes-Benz convertible.
The allegations date back to 2018, around the time the Democratic senator began dating the woman who is now his wife, Nadine Menendez, who was also indicted in the corruption probe. Prosecutors say Menendez provided political favors to three New Jersey businessmen and secretly helped the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez, who stepped down from his powerful chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after he was charged, has pleaded not guilty and hasn't ruled out testifying.
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.