Senator Robert Menendez and his wife, Nadine, entered a plea of not guilty in Manhattan federal court on Monday to new obstruction of justice charges outlined in a rewritten indictment returned last week. The charges stem from allegations that the couple attempted to disguise bribes as loans and obstructed justice in the process.
A federal grand jury in New York issued two new counts last week, accusing the Democrat senator and his wife of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The latest superseding indictment brings the total number of charges faced by New Jersey’s senior senator to 18.
During the 20-minute hearing, Senator Menendez reaffirmed his plea of not guilty, a stance he had previously taken when first charged in October.
The latest charges allege that the couple attempted to conceal bribes as loans, including a new Mercedes-Benz and a mortgage payment. Prosecutors claim the couple instructed their attorneys to mislead federal investigators regarding the nature of these payments.
The FBI asserts that the Menendezes lied about receiving money for a new Mercedes convertible and mortgage payments, portraying them as loans intended for repayment when, in reality, they were alleged bribes.
The couple, along with two New Jersey businessmen, all entered pleas of not guilty to the new obstruction counts and are slated to stand trial in May.
Despite Senator Menendez’s request to adjourn the trial date in light of the new charges, Judge Sidney Stein maintained the original trial schedule, stating, “From my standpoint, the May 6 date stands.”
The accusations against the Menendezes extend to claims of conspiring with businessmen to accept bribes in return for the senator’s assistance with various projects. Jose Uribe, a New Jersey businessman involved in the case, pleaded guilty earlier and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
In response to the latest indictment, Senator Menendez denounced the charges as “a flagrant abuse of power,” asserting his innocence and accusing prosecutors of baseless allegations.
In 2015, Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges that resulted in a hung jury but in April 2018, the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics “severely admonished” him for accepting payoffs from Dr. Salomon Melgen without obtaining committee approval, failing to disclose them, and for using his position as a senator to advance the Florida ophthalmologist’s interests.
Prosecutors allege that the couple engaged in a cover-up and obstruction of justice by misrepresenting bribe payments as loan repayments, with checks presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an attempt to obstruct the investigation.
The trial is anticipated to involve a lengthy process, with federal prosecutors estimating four to six weeks to present their case. At the same time, defense attorneys expect to take at least a week.
Two of the three businessmen implicated in the case also entered pleas of not guilty, while the third, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to bribery charges. Since Uribe pleaded guilty in the so-called gold bar corruption case, saying he paid bribes to the senator, he has been cooperating with prosecutors.
The latest allegations included in the indictment detail further attempts to obstruct justice, suggesting the couple knowingly misled federal investigators regarding the nature of the payments they received.
Senator Menendez’s future in politics remains uncertain, with reports indicating he will not seek reelection in November, although no official announcement has been made regarding his resignation.
After his fall arrest, Menendez, 70, was forced to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but he has stubbornly refused to resign from Congress.
During an interview in his office on Capitol Hill, Menendez told Washington Post political reporter Jesús Rodríguez he was thinking of something his father told him many years ago.
Before his suicide more than four decades ago, Mario Menendez gave his son this advice: “There’s only one thing the government can’t take away from you, the police can’t take away from you, the army can’t take away: It’s your word.”
Rodríguez noted that Capitol Hill is “a place some people, including dozens of colleagues, don’t think he deserves to be anymore. Not since the Justice Department indicted him on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services fraud and extortion, as well as acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the Egyptian government while serving as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — all of which Menendez denies.”
The case against Senator Menendez marks a significant legal battle, with prosecutors asserting that he is the first sitting member of Congress charged with conspiracy as a foreign agent. As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome will undoubtedly carry substantial implications for the senator and his political career.
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