From Capitol Hill to the courtroom: Bob Menendez doesn't want you to be distracted by shiny objects

Don’t be distracted by the shiny object.

Or 13 shiny objects — as in bars of gold bullion.

That’s the goal of the attorneys for Sen. Bob. Menendez, the Democrat from New Jersey. The senator is on trial for the second time in less than a decade on unrelated charges.

U.S. senators don’t go on trial very often. The late Sen. Ted Stevens, the Republican from Alaska, was on trial back in 2008. A jury convicted Stevens. Then Stevens had the case overturned. Stevens died in a plane crash after he lost his bid for re-election.