Senator Bob Menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty to new obstruction of justice charges in a New York court. The charges were part of a rewritten indictment returned last week against the Democrat in Manhattan federal court. Menendez had previously pleaded not guilty to charges in October.
The new charges include conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. Menendez and his wife, Nadine, entered their pleas to these charges and briefly spoke to each other before leaving the courtroom together.
Senator Bob Menendez (Credits: Vox)
The couple is accused of conspiring with three businessmen to accept bribes, including gold bars, cash, and a luxury car, in return for the senator’s help in projects pursued by the businessmen.
Two of the businessmen also entered not guilty pleas on Monday, while a third, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty two weeks ago to bribery charges and agreed to testify against the others at a trial set for May 6. The new allegations in the indictment are related to gifts prosecutors say the couple received from Uribe.
Senator Bob Menendez (Credits: Britannica)
According to the indictment, Menendez and his wife allegedly made false statements to prosecutors about the nature of the gifts, claiming they were loans. Menendez has denied the charges, stating that the funds provided to his wife were loans, not bribes.
After his arrest, Menendez was forced to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but has stated that he will not resign from Congress.
