American Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday denied his charges of corruption in the federal justice system involving Egypt and refused to resign.
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Speaking to the press in English and Spanish, this veteran politician, an elected Democrat of Cuban descent, described New York federal prosecutor Damian Williams’ allegations released Friday as “allegations and just allegations.”
Mr. Menendez, along with his wife Nadine, allegedly accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes from three businessmen in his state of New Jersey between 2018 and 2022, using “his power and influence to protect and enrich these businessmen.” Support the Egyptian government.
While calls for his resignation have also been made from his camp since Friday, the 69-year-old, who was elected to both chambers of Congress for 30 years, said he was convinced that he would be “acquitted and remain the oldest.” Senator from New Jersey.
“Some of those who are calling for my resignation for political reasons say that I have lost the trust of the people of New Jersey,” defended Mr. Menendez, a state of nine million people bordering New York.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said from his Union City stronghold, surrounded by dozens of supporters.
According to the indictment and specific information from the New York Times, the FBI, the federal police, discovered $500,000 in cash and 13 gold bars (i.e. three kilos) in the Menendez couple’s house in June 2022.
“For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, as my family in Cuba has faced seizures and confiscations in the past,” he justified Robert Menendez.
Accused by the courts of favoring the Egyptian government, an ally of Washington, particularly in arms sales, the Democratic senator recalled that he had “directed President (Egyptian Abdel Fattah) al-Sissi to attacks on human rights, arbitrary detentions and freedoms asked.”, etc.
In what is very rare for a senator, Mr. Menendez had already been indicted on corruption charges in 2015, but his trial was canceled in 2017 because there was no unanimous jury verdict. And in 2018, the Justice Department — under the presidency of Republican Donald Trump — asked a judge to drop all charges against him.