The senator has maintained his innocence and so far refuses to resign from office.
Topline
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) pleaded not guilty to three felony counts Wednesday after being indicted for allegedly taking bribes from several New Jersey businessmen, marking Menendez’s second set of criminal charges—as the senator maintains his innocence in the case and refuses to leave Congress even as calls for his resignation grow.Key Facts
Menendez was arraigned Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond, pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
His wife Nadine Menendez also pleaded not guilty to the charges, as did businessmen Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes.
A third businessman indicted as part of the scheme, Wael Hana, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him on Tuesday.
Menendez and his wife were indicted for their allegedly “corrupt relationship” with the businessmen, in which they allegedly accepted bribes—including in the form of gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible—in exchange for Menendez using his power as a senator to benefit the businessmen and the Egyptian government.
