In the bribery trial, the star witness was questioned by Menendez attorneys about the alleged payoffs.

• In the federal corruption trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Jose Uribe, the star witness, was questioned by defense lawyers about his credibility.
• Along with Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, Uribe was one of three New Jersey businessmen accused in the case.
• Nadine, who was Menendez's girlfriend at the time, received a Mercedes-Benz convertible from Uribe in exchange for the senator's influence.

On Tuesday, the defense attorneys questioned the reliability of the key witness in the federal corruption case against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who claimed to have given bribes to the senator and his wife.

Jose Uribe was among the three New Jersey businessmen initially accused in the case, alongside Menendez and his spouse, Nadine Menendez.

In early March, Uribe pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in hopes of avoiding prison when he is sentenced for his crimes, which carry a maximum of 95 years in prison.

In court, Uribe stated that in 2019 he purchased a Mercedes-Benz convertible for Nadine, who was Menendez's girlfriend at the time, in exchange for the senator's influence.

New Jersey state criminal investigations related to Uribe's associates have been the subject of accusations by prosecutors that Menendez attempted to interfere with them.

Uribe testified Monday that he made a promise to her so she could get the car and comply with the deal.

On Tuesday, during cross-examination, an attorney for Menendez co-defendant Wael Hana attempted to discredit Uribe's testimony, according to NBC News.

Did Ricardo Solano ask Uribe if it was "justifiable to fabricate when in difficulty to evade consequences?"

Uribe admitted to lying in the past and stated that he took necessary steps to protect his family.

Solano drilled down: "Does that include lying?"

He said that he had done so in the past to safeguard his family.

On March 1, Uribe admitted guilt to seven charges, including conspiring to commit bribery, committing honest services fraud, and obstructing justice.

The senior U.S. senator and his wife are accused of accepting bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for official acts.

In a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, Menendez, Hana, and Fred Daibes, another New Jersey businessman, are being tried together. Nadine Menendez's trial was postponed until July due to medical reasons. During the trial, the senator disclosed that his wife is battling breast cancer.

Nadine Menendez's attorneys have attempted to shift blame onto her, claiming she kept the senator informed about her financial difficulties. In his opening statement, Avi Weitzman stated that gold bars were discovered in "Nadine's closet."

Some of Menendez's Democratic colleagues have denounced him, but he has filed to run for reelection as an independent candidate.