New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testifies Sen. Bob Menendez sought to discuss real estate developer's criminal case

New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testified Wednesday at Sen. Bob Menendez 's bribery trial that the Democrat sought to discuss the prosecution of a New Jersey real estate developer with him before recommending him to the post after President Biden won the election in 2020. 

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger's revelation in testimony that will continue on Thursday represented the second time in the five-week-old Manhattan federal court trial that a top law enforcement figure has said Menendez sought to speak about a criminal case affecting a New Jersey businessman.

Last week, a former New Jersey attorney general testified that Menendez twice confronted him about a pending criminal case affecting a New Jersey businessman, and both times the attorney general refused to discuss the subject.