Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Friday that U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has temporarily stepped down from his position as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee following his indictment along with his wife for accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. Schumer expressed disappointment and concern over the charges against his Democratic colleague, stating, "We all know that... there are high standards for senators. And certainly after reading the indictment, Senator Menendez falls far short of those standards." He added, "Tomorrow, he will speak to the Democratic caucus and we will see what happens next."
Federal prosecutors in the United States announced on Friday that Senator Menendez, who represents New Jersey, and his wife are accused of accepting bribes involving three businessmen from the state. The prosecutors indicated that the bribes included cash, gold bars, mortgage loan payments, a luxury car, and other valuable items. However, Menendez stated that he does not intend to resign. In a statement late Friday, he remarked, "I notice the haste of some to judge a Latino man and expel him from his seat. I am not going anywhere." He further stated, "The misconduct of these prosecutors is evident. The facts are not as presented."
Nadine Menendez, aged 56, denied any wrongdoing through her attorney and will "vigorously defend" herself against the charges in court. She has been married to Senator Menendez since 2020. Both Menendez and Nadine face three criminal charges each, including conspiracy to commit bribery, fraud, and extortion. His office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Included in the charges are three businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. Prosecutors claimed that Hana, of Egyptian descent, arranged dinner parties and meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials in 2018, during which the officials pressured the senator regarding U.S. military aid. Prosecutors stated that Hana added Nadine Menendez to his company's payroll in return. A statement from Hana's spokesperson read, "We are still reviewing the charges but based on our initial review, they are completely unfounded."
At that time, Egypt was one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid, but the State Department withheld $195 million in 2017 and canceled an additional $65.7 million in aid until improvements were observed in human rights and democracy in Egypt.
Conditions of Release
Menendez submitted a plea of not guilty through his attorney, Seth Farber, at a hearing before Judge Una Wang in Manhattan. Wang stated that Menendez could be released on a personal bail of $100,000. The senator will be required to surrender his personal passport but may retain his official passport for travel on official business.
His wife Nadine (56 years old) and businessmen Jose Uribe (56) and Fred Daibes (66) also pleaded not guilty. The third businessman, Wael Hana (40), entered his plea on Tuesday. Menendez, one of the two senators from New Jersey, has stepped down from his role as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee under party rules. However, he stated on Monday that he would remain in the Senate and defend himself against the charges. This investigation marks the third one that Menendez has faced from federal prosecutors; however, no convictions have been issued against him to date.
