Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey was found guilty on 16 counts related to a scheme in which he took bribes for aiding foreign governments, including gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz.

Menendez, who was once in charge of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, may spend decades behind bars and even lose his Democratic party membership.

Throughout the eight-week trial, he had maintained his innocence, with his attorneys contending that the gifts he accepted did not meet the definition of bribes because the prosecution had not shown that he had done anything particular with them after accepting them.

In the bribery case, Menendez's wife Nadine Arslanian Menendez is also charged; however, her trial was postponed so that she could receive treatment for breast cancer. She entered a not guilty plea.

His attorneys had made an effort to place the responsibility elsewhere, characterizing Mrs. Menendez as a struggling woman who aspired to "get cash and assets any way she could".

After more than 12 hours of deliberation over three days, the jury found Menendez guilty of all charges. It was a nine-week trial.

In addition, two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, are on trial for allegedly going after the senator in order to obtain millions of dollars from a Qatari investment fund and unlawfully support the Egyptian government.

Jose Uribe, a third businessman, entered a guilty plea and gave testimony during the trial against Mr. Menendez.

Prosecutors used expert testimony, emails, and Mr. Menendez's text messages during the trial to demonstrate that the senator had accepted large sums of money from foreign governments.

Among the gifts, they claimed, were gold bars valued at more than $100,000 (£79,000).

After the indictment revealing gold bars hidden in his home was made public late last year, most Democrats in the state turned against Menendez. He is now contesting as an independent in an attempt to retain his seat in the election scheduled for November.

The senator has previously been charged with federal corruption. The Department of Justice said at his 2017 trial that he performed political favors for a rich Florida eye specialist in exchange for opulent gifts and expensive vacations.

However, the case resulted in a mistrial when the jury could not agree on a verdict and he was found not guilty of part of the accusations.