NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez returns to court Monday to enter an anticipated no longer in charge plea to a conspiracy charge alleging that he acted as an agent of the Egyptian executive whilst he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Menendez, 69, used to be scheduled to seem within the afternoon sooner than Judge Sidney H. Stein at federal court in Manhattan.
The Democrat stepped down from his tough post main the Senate committee after he used to be charged ultimate month. Prosecutors stated the senator and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, approved bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automobile over the last 5 years from 3 New Jersey businessmen in change for plenty of corrupt acts.
The different defendants entered no longer in charge fees to a superseding indictment ultimate week. The senator used to be accredited to extend his arraignment so he may have a tendency to Senate tasks. He has stated that all through his entire lifestyles he has been unswerving to the United States and that he’ll display his innocence.
Menendez has resisted calls from greater than 30 Democrats that he renounce.
The rewritten indictment added a charge alleging that the senator, his spouse and one of the most businessmen conspired to have Menendez act as an agent of the federal government of Egypt and Egyptian officers.
As a member of Congress, Menendez is unlawful from performing as an agent for a international executive.
Menendez is accused of passing information to the Egyptians concerning the team of workers on the U.S. embassy in Cairo, ghostwriting a letter on Egypt’s behalf supposed to affect fellow senators and urging the U.S. State Department to get extra concerned with world negotiations to block a dam mission Egypt adversarial, amongst different issues.
Last week, Nadine Menendez and a businessman, Wael Hana, pleaded no longer in charge to the superseding indictment.
Both of them have been charged with conspiring with the senator to use him as an agent of the federal government of Egypt and its officers. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 5 years in jail.