New York (AP) – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is set to return to court on Monday to enter a not guilty plea for the conspiracy charge against him, which alleges that he acted as an agent of the Egyptian government while serving as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Menendez, 69, is scheduled to appear before Judge Sidney H. Stein at the federal court in Manhattan in the afternoon.
After being charged last month, the Democrat resigned from his powerful position leading the Senate committee. Prosecutors have accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of accepting bribes including cash, gold bars, and a luxury car over the past five years from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for various corrupt acts.
Last week, the other defendants pleaded not guilty to the superseding indictment. Menendez was granted a delay in his arraignment to attend to his Senate duties. He has staunchly maintained his loyalty to the United States and expressed his determination to prove his innocence.
Despite calls from over 30 Democrats urging him to resign, Menendez has chosen to hold his ground.
The rewritten indictment now includes an additional charge, alleging that the senator, his wife, and one of the businessmen conspired to have Menendez act as an agent for the government of Egypt and its officials.
As a member of Congress, Menendez is prohibited from representing a foreign government.
Among the accusations against Menendez are passing confidential information about the U.S. embassy staff in Cairo to the Egyptians, ghostwriting a letter on Egypt’s behalf to influence fellow senators, and urging the U.S. State Department to actively participate in international negotiations concerning a dam project that Egypt opposed.
Last week, Nadine Menendez and businessman Wael Hana also pleaded not guilty to the superseding indictment. They are charged with conspiring with the senator to utilize him as an agent for the government of Egypt and its officials. If convicted, they could face a maximum prison sentence of up to five years.
