On Wednesday, Sept. 27, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption in a case involving deals with the Egyptian government and attempted interference in the prosecution of a friend.
Menendez’s plea comes after the finds of an FBI search of his house were made public earlier that month. The search turned up more than $100,000 of gold bars and another $500,000 in cash, some of it found stuffed inside the Senator’s official Congressional jackets.
The Senator is alleged to have used his authority as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to exchange military aid to Egypt for bribes. He is also accused of using his influence to get his friend an exclusive meat certification agreement with the Egyptian government.
The indictment of Menendez also states that he planned to use his influence to ask President Joe Biden to appoint a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey “who Menendez believed could be influenced” in the case of another friend who was prosecuted for a loan scam.
This latest indictment marks the second time Menendez faces bribery charges. In 2015, Menendez was indicted for taking bribes in exchange for pressuring government officials to resolve a Medicare billing dispute with a Florida doctor. The case ended in 2018 with a hung jury. Menendez maintained his innocence at the time, as he has with the latest charges against him.
Menendez has stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as is protocol when that individual is under indictment.
Thirty-one of Menendez’s Democratic Senate colleagues have publicly said he should resign following the charges. That number includes Cory Booker, New Jersey’s other Democratic Senator, who called the charges against Menendez “shocking.”
New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy and most of the state’s congressional delegation have also said Menendez should step down.
Despite more than half the Democratic caucus calling for Menendez’s resignation, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has avoided doing likewise.
Menendez is up for reelection in 2024, but has not explicitly said whether he will run. However, he has suggested that his corruption charges would not deter him.
Congressman Andy Kim (D-N.J.) has announced a primary challenge to Menendez, though it is unclear who has the better chance of victory. Menendez’s main voter base has remained relatively neutral, but Kim could take advantage of Mendenez’s declining approval statewide.
Should Menendez make it out of the primary, his scandal could damage Democrats electoral chances both statewide and nationally. A scandal plagued Democrat gives Republicans the best chance to flip a traditionally safe seat if a strong candidate emerges. Democrats in other tight races would also face questions about their colleague’s alleged misdeeds.
