Menendez’s jury optimism

AN OPTIMISTIC Sen. Robert Menendez predicted an acquittal Tuesday as he arrived for jury selection in his federal influencepeddling trial.

Menendez, wearing a blue suit and carrying a thick binder, faces trial for allegedly accepting campaign funds and pricey trips from co-defendant Dr. Salamon Melgen.

Prosecutors said the alleged quid pro quo involved the New Jersey Democrat helping the married Melgen land visas for his foreign girlfriends, intervening in a Medicaid billing dispute and boosting a Melgen business to land a contract in the Dominican Republic.

The pair share a friendship that dates back two decades. Menendez, on his way into the Newark federal courthouse, said he was “looking forward to picking a good jury.”

A conviction could lead to Menendez’s expulsion from the Senate, and give outgoing Republican Gov. Chris Christie a chance to choose a replacement. The seat comes up for vote in November 2018.

The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 6.