Story highlights Jury told judge it was deadlocked again

Senator is on trial for 12 counts of corruption

"To those who were digging my political grave so that they could jump into my seat, I know who you are, and I won't forget you," Menendez said

Newark, New Jersey (CNN) The federal corruption trial of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez ended in a mistrial Thursday after the jury reported it was hopelessly deadlocked.

The mistrial is a blow to the Justice Department, which has been investigating Menendez for nearly five years, and will be a sigh of relief to Democrats worried about possibly losing his Senate seat to Republicans.

Menendez said he felt vindicated.

"I want to thank the jury, 12 New Jerseyans who saw through the government's false claims and used their Jersey common sense to reject it," he told reporters outside the courthouse before blasting the Justice Department.

"The way this case started was wrong, the way it was investigated was wrong, the way it was prosecuted was wrong, and the way it was tried was wrong as well," he said. "Certain elements of the FBI and of our state cannot understand or, even worse, accept that the Latino kid from Union City and Hudson County can grow up and be a US senator and be honest."

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