Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of the Egyptian government, the second time in as many months Menendez has had to enter a plea in response to corruption-related charges.
Menendez’s appearance in court came as a result of U.S. District Attorney Damian Williams bringing a second indictment against the senator this month over allegations he violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act while he was serving as the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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Menendez and his wife Nadine were initially hit with three charges in September for allegedly engaging in a corrupt relationship with three businessmen, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.
The couple allegedly accepted bribes that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, a luxury vehicle, and more, according to the indictment.
All five are co-defendants in the case and all already pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.
Three of the co-defendants, Bob and Nadine Menendez and Hana, were also charged in the updated indictment with conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent, a violation of FARA punishable by up to five years in prison. Nadine Menendez and Hana pleaded not guilty to that charge last week.
Under FARA, those conducting certain types of business in the interest of a foreign principle must register with the Department of Justice and make periodic disclosures about their business. Registering under FARA as a senator is a violation of the Senate’s ethics code.
The indictment details how Menendez, who served as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee for six consecutive years, allegedly used his authority to help Egyptian officials secure U.S. aid related to foreign military sales and financing in exchange for bribes.
He was obligated to step down as committee chairman in the wake of the initial indictment news last month but has since faced pressure from many of his Democratic colleagues to resign from the Senate altogether.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of the most vocal critics of Menendez, said in a statement on social media this month Menendez should have been gone “long ago.”
Senators were given the option last week to attend a classified briefing related to the terrorist attacks in Israel, and Fetterman asked in another social media post, “Would it be awkward to attend a classified briefing on Israel when you’ve been accused of being a foreign agent for, let’s say, a country like Egypt.”
Would it be awkward to attend a classified briefing on Israel when you’ve been accused of being a foreign agent for, let’s say, a country like Egypt.
Asking for a friend.
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) October 17, 2023
Menendez ended up not attending the briefing. He said he willingly made the decision to skip it because his decades of foreign policy experience meant he already knew everything he needed to draw conclusions about the situation in Israel.
Several other Senate Democrats, including Menendez’s fellow New Jersey colleague and friend Sen. Cory Booker, have also called on the indicted official to resign.
Menendez, for his part, has maintained his innocence and indicated he plans to seek reelection next year despite a recent local poll shared on the New Jersey Globe showing 70% of New Jerseyans want him to resign.
Seizing on Menendez’s tainted race prospects, Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), who is popular among Democrats, has launched his own bid for the seat.
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Menendez said Monday in a statement of the FARA charge that it is “as outrageous as it is absurd.”
“I have been, throughout my life, loyal to only one country — the United States of America, the land my family chose to live in democracy and freedom,” he said, adding that he would “not litigate this case through the press.”
The trial for the case is set for May 2024.
