Sen. Bob Menendez (D.N.J.) pleaded not guilty Monday in Manhattan federal court to charges of bribery and obstruction of justice.
Arraignments on 18 superseding charges against Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, and New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Dives were held Monday morning.
Sen. Menendez and his wife, who arrived at 10:41 a.m. for the 11 a.m. hearing, are under investigation for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including cash, gold and a Mercedes-Benz. , has been charged with obstruction of justice. In exchange for protecting and enriching Deibes and Hana and using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to benefit the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
Sen Menendez charged with obstruction of justice in separate priority indictment
Sen. Bob Menendez enters Manhattan federal court on March 11, 2024. (Fox News)
The new charges allege that Menendez and his wife accepted gifts from former co-defendant Jose Uribe in exchange for favors. Mr. Uribe pleaded guilty to bribery charges earlier this month and agreed to testify in the corruption case. Hanna’s lawyer said his client had no intention of doing anything similar.
“We fully believe that he will be acquitted,” defense attorney Lawrence Rustberg said after the 15-minute hearing. “I would like to specifically state that the allegations against him that he served the Egyptian government in any way have no legal or factual basis. Mr. Hana has no intention of pleading guilty and cooperating. there is no.”
Menendez and his wife are also charged with conspiracy to commit public rights extortion, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. Mr. Menendez is also charged with acting as a foreign agent. He was fired as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall.
Co-defendant in Bob Menendez corruption case cooperates with investigators and pleads guilty to seven charges
Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez leave a Manhattan courtroom after being indicted on federal bribery charges in New York on September 27, 2023. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Menendez has denied wrongdoing and refused to resign, but has not announced whether he will run for re-election.
Asked after Monday’s court hearing whether he had ruled out running for re-election, he answered “no” and then clarified: “I have no intention of making an announcement in court.”
Sen. Bob Menendez listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on December 7, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
All four defendants pleaded not guilty on Monday.
A trial is scheduled for May 6, and the government expects the case, which may involve DNA, fingerprint and other experts, to take four to six weeks.
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The defense says it will only take a week.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich, Jeremy Copas and Grace Taggart contributed to this report.
