Senator Bob Menendez to Face Court Proceedings for Bribery Allegations Amid Growing Resignation Demands

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U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday to respond to accusations that he leveraged his influential position to covertly promote Egyptian interests and perform illicit favors for businessmen in New Jersey in return for monetary and gold bribes.

The Democratic Senator from New Jersey is set to make his initial court appearance while there are increasing demands from his peers for him to vacate his Congressional seat.

Despite the indictment filed against him last week, which led to his removal from his role as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez remains unyielding. He maintains that the claims accusing him of using his office for personal financial gain are without merit. He is assured of his forthcoming vindication and has expressed no plans to exit the Senate.

This marks the second time in ten years that Menendez has been embroiled in a corruption case. His previous trial on separate charges concluded in 2017 without a definitive verdict from the jury.

On Tuesday, fellow Democratic Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey added his voice to those urging Menendez’s resignation. Booker cited the indictment’s “gripping allegations of corrupt conduct and specific, unsettling details of malfeasance.” Roughly half of the Senate Democrats, including some who are up for reelection next year, now endorse the call for Menendez to step down.

Also due to appear in court on Wednesday is Nadine Menendez, the Senator’s wife. Prosecutors assert she played a significant role in gathering hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen who were seeking the Senator’s assistance. Legal representation for Nadine Menendez contends that she, too, denies the allegations and will contest the charges.

Businessmen Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes are expected to be arraigned as well. A third man, Wael Hana, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges on Tuesday. Hana had voluntarily returned from Egypt and was arrested upon landing at New York’s Kennedy Airport; he has since been released pending trial.

Law enforcement authorities discovered close to $500,000 in cash, much of it concealed in clothing and closets, along with over $100,000 in gold bars during a search of the Menendez household in New Jersey.

Menendez, 69, in his first public comments since the indictment, claimed that the discovered cash originated from his personal savings accrued over the years, which he kept for emergency situations.

However, one of the cash envelopes found at his residence displayed DNA from Daibes and was labeled with the real estate developer’s return address, according to the prosecution.

Prosecutors assert that Hana offered to place Nadine Menendez on his corporate payroll in a low-requirement job in exchange for Senator Menendez using his powerful position to enable foreign military deals and financing with Egypt. It is also alleged that Hana paid $23,000 toward her home mortgage, wrote checks totaling $30,000 to her consulting firm, and promised cash envelopes and exercise equipment, besides purchasing some of the discovered gold bars.

The indictment accuses Menendez of multiple actions favoring Egypt, even though recent human rights concerns about the country have led Congress to impose restrictions on aid. Prosecutors claim that Menendez shared sensitive U.S. government data with Egyptian authorities and drafted a letter to fellow senators advocating for the release of $300 million in aid to Egypt, a primary beneficiary of U.S. military support.

The indictment further accuses Menendez of intervening with a U.S. agricultural official to prevent opposition to a profitable contract that would give Hana’s company an exclusive right to certify that imported meat met religious criteria. He is also accused of attempting to obstruct criminal investigations involving his associates, including an effort to appoint a federal prosecutor in New Jersey whom he believed would stifle a criminal case against Daibes.

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Reported from Boston.

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More about Bribery allegations against Senator Bob Menendez

• Senator Bob Menendez Indicted on Corruption Charges
• Cory Booker Calls for Menendez Resignation
• The History of Political Scandals in the U.S. Senate
• Overview of U.S.-Egypt Relations
• Understanding Federal Bribery Laws
• Recent Corruption Cases Involving U.S. Senators
• Indictment Details: Menendez Case
• Menendez’s Previous Trial
• Legal Proceedings in Bribery Cases