Sen. Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Bribery and Corruption Charges

Menendez will reportedly be released on a $100,000 bond after surrendering his personal passport

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine, both pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal bribery, extortion and fraud charges, Politico reports.

According to New York Law Journal reporter Jane Wester, Menendez will be released on a $100,000 bond after surrendering his personal passport.

Menendez, a Democrat, was indicted last week along with his wife following an investigation into their business dealings with three men who have ties to Egypt's government.

Related: Sen. Bob Menendez, Wife Charged with Bribery After Allegedly Accepting 'Cash, Gold, a Luxury Vehicle' and More

The 39-page indictment alleges that the senator, 69, and Nadine, 56, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bribes in exchange for protecting the three businessmen — Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes — and to "benefit" the government of Egypt. Some of those bribes, prosecutors say, came in the form of envelopes stuffed with cash.

"Over $480,000 in cash — much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe — was discovered in the home, along with over $70,000 in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box," the indictment alleges.

Menendez, who was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the indictment, has since told reporters the cash came from his "personal savings."

Related: John Fetterman Says He'll Return Campaign Donation from Bob Menendez as He Calls on Indicted Senator to Resign

The indictment further alleges that the senator "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt," and "improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly" granted to one of the businessmen, Hana, by the country of Egypt.

The couple are charged with three counts: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Menendez has served as a senator since 2006. Prior to that, he was a U.S. Representative, state senator, state representative, and the mayor of Union City, New Jersey.

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Lawmakers on either side of the aisle, including fellow Democrats, have since called on Menendez to step down, though the lawmaker has said he has no intention of doing so.

Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024, now faces a primary challenger — U.S. Rep. Andy Kim — who announced that he would run against the Democrat just days after the indictment was unsealed.

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