Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty To Recent Charge

(RepublicanPress.org) – In September, a federal indictment against Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife, Nadine, was made public. The charges against the pair included conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit bribery. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges in court, and he was released on bail. Weeks later, the government filed a superseding indictment with one extra charge — conspiracy to act as a foreign agent.

On October 23, CBS News reported that the senator appeared in court in Lower Manhattan to plead not guilty to the new charge. Nadine Menendez already entered her not-guilty plea. The federal government is accusing the legislator of giving highly sensitive information to Egyptian businesswoman Wael Hana regarding US Embassy staff in Cairo. She then allegedly shared the information with the Egyptian government. Prosecutors also believe Senator Menendez ghost-wrote a letter supporting Egypt to try and persuade his colleagues to “support US aid to Egypt.”

Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty today to conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt. https://t.co/fIFMtoCfbF

— Axios (@axios) October 24, 2023

The New Jersey lawmaker didn’t immediately speak to reporters following his time in court but released a statement soon after to CBS New York. Menendez insisted he has only been loyal to “one country — the United States of America.” He accused the government of trying to wear him down with additional bogus charges but said the “tactic” wouldn’t work. He maintained his innocence, saying the evidence will show he did “nothing wrong.” However, the legislator didn’t give a motive as to why the government would want to falsely accuse him and his spouse of crimes.

Many members of Menendez’s own party have called for his resignation from the Senate. However, he previously stated he has no plans to step down.

If found guilty of all charges, the senator and his wife could spend up to 50 years behind bars. Their trial is set to start in May 2024.