Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Corruption Charges as Senate Dems Call for His Resignation

Less than a week after being indicted, Senator Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal corruption charges related to his allegedly taking bribes in an influence-peddling scheme that involved Egypt.

Despite numerous Democratic calls for his resignation, Menendez has denied any wrongdoing on his part and maintained his innocence. He allegedly pocketed over $100,000 worth of gold bars and nearly $500,000 in cash, among other luxurious gifts found in his New Jersey home, in exchange for political influence that benefited the Arab Republic of Egypt and enriched three New Jersey businessmen, according to the indictment.

Attorneys for Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, pleaded not guilty on their behalf before a federal judge in Manhattan. The three local businessmen — Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes — who were listed as defendants in the indictment also pleaded not guilty to the charges this week.

The senator’s not-guilty plea comes as more than half of Democratic lawmakers and many partisan politicians from his home state call for his resignation.

Illinois Senate whip Dick Durbin said Wednesday the New Jersey senator “should step down” after facing charges. New Jersey senator Cory Booker also called for his colleague to resign despite working with him for about a decade, and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said Friday that Menendez should hand in his “immediate resignation” before heading to court.

Menendez has repeatedly said he will not resign, although he did temporarily step down from his leadership position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Earlier this week, the senator insisted he only withdrew the cash from his personal savings account in case of emergencies.

“For 30 years I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” he said at a press conference Monday. “Now this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies [sic] drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years.”

The indictment filed against Menendez, his wife, and the three businessmen was unsealed Friday.

“Menendez and Nadine Menendez agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect and enrich Hana, Uribe, and Daibes and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt,” the indictment reads. “Among other actions, Menendez provided sensitive U.S. government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.”