Senator Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to bribery charges

EThis Democratic senator, of Cuban origin, paid a bail of 100 thousand dollars and handed over his personal passport, although he can keep the official one for reasons related to the exercise of his position, the only reason that will allow him to leave the USA.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on Friday accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using political influence to “protect and enrich businesspeople and benefit the government of Egypt”, which they denied.

Nadine also pleaded not guilty today to a bribery-related conspiracy charge.

The bribes the Menendez family allegedly received since at least 2018 and through 2022 were cash, gold ingots, mortgage payments, a job requiring almost no presence from Nadine, and a Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

In this case, the three businessmen who allegedly bribed Menendez are also accused: Wael Hana, José Uribe and Fred Daibes, linked to the Egyptian government according to the indictment.

At the Menendez residence, the FBI found half a million dollars hidden in cash, prosecutors said.

A congressman for 30 years, the now senator, who is seeking re-election in 2024, defended his innocence and refused to resign, despite requests to that effect from several peers, including Democrats.

This is the second time in a decade that Menendez has been accused of corruption, although the previous case was closed after jurors could not agree on a verdict.

In 2015, Menendez had been charged with 14 felonies related to receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish gifts and campaign donations from a Florida ophthalmologist, Salomon Melgen, who was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to more than 15 years. of prison.

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