Sen. , from New Jersey, pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new charge accusing him of accepting bribes from the Egyptian government and conspiring to act as a foreign agent while serving in Congress.
In a brief hearing that lasted less than five minutes, Menendez, dressed in a pinstripe suit with a red tie, sat between his lawyers.
As he left the federal courthouse in Manhattan, Menendez declared his innocence in Spanish, stating, “We are innocent. We are going to prove it.”
Following his arraignment, Menendez released a statement reiterating his denial of any wrongdoing. He called the latest charge “outrageous” and “absurd,” asserting his loyalty to the United States and expressing confidence that he will be vindicated.
Menendez’s co-defendants, including his wife Nadine Menendez and businessman Wael Hana, were also indicted on the new charges. Last week, they all pleaded not guilty.
Menendez was excused from the previous court proceeding due to his Senate business.
According to a recent indictment filed by a federal grand jury in Manhattan, Menendez allegedly provided sensitive U.S. government information to the Government of Egypt. He vehemently denied these accusations.
The indictment also claimed that Menendez’s wife and Hana worked together to introduce Egyptian officials to the senator with the goal of entering into a corrupt agreement.
The new charge alleges that from 2018 to 2022, Hana, Menendez, and his wife conspired to have Menendez act as an agent of the Egyptian government.
Last month, Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, accusing them of accepting large sums of money in exchange for exploiting the senator’s influence for personal gain and benefitting Egypt.
Upon being indicted last month, Menendez stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. However, during his tenure, he played a significant role in overseeing U.S. aid to Egypt.
In a statement, Menendez expressed his determination to prove his innocence in court. His wife, through her attorney, denied all allegations in the indictment, while Hana’s attorney claimed the charges against his client are false.
In addition to the federal corruption case, the FBI is investigating potential involvement of Egypt’s intelligence services in the alleged bribery scheme mentioned in the indictment.
Despite facing calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats, Menendez has rejected them. This is the second federal indictment Menendez has faced since becoming a senator in 2006. In 2015, he was charged with illegally accepting favors, but the
