US Senator Bob Menendez is facing a fresh criminal charge in connection with his alleged involvement as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government, as prosecutors pursue a corruption case against him. The new charge has been added to a revised indictment lodged against the Democratic senator from New Jersey in a federal court located in New York, and it encompasses four counts. His trial on corruption charges is slated to commence in May.
The prosecution contends that Senator Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, received gold bars and substantial sums of money in exchange for leveraging their influence to obstruct law enforcement investigations involving three New Jersey businessmen and providing support to the Egyptian government. The Egyptian embassy in Washington has not issued an official response to this new charge at the time of this report.
Despite calls for his resignation, Senator Menendez remains resolute, steadfastly maintaining his innocence in response to previous charges brought against him. His co-defendants, which include his wife Nadine and businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, have likewise entered pleas of not guilty.
The newly introduced indictment accuses Senator Menendez, who recently chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of conducting actions on behalf of Egyptian military and intelligence officials between 2018 and 2022 without registering as a foreign agent with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Senator Menendez has issued a statement emphasizing his unwavering loyalty to the United States and expressing that the new charge contradicts his extensive history of advocating for human rights and democracy in Egypt while challenging the country’s leadership.
He stated, “Piling new charge upon new charge does not make the allegations true. It is an attempt to wear someone down, and I will not succumb to this tactic.”
The Foreign Agents Registration Act mandates that individuals must register with the department if they act as an “agent of a foreign principal.” According to prosecutors, co-defendant Wael Hana organized meetings between the senator and Egyptian officials, who exerted pressure for his approval of military aid. In exchange, Hana employed Nadine Menendez within a company under his control. The new indictment further alleges that both Hana and Nadine Menendez conveyed requests and directives from Egyptian officials to the senator.
In response to the accusations, Wael Hana’s lawyer, Lawrence Lustberg, issued a statement, saying, “The new allegation that Wael Hana was part of a plot concocted over dinner to enlist Senator Menendez as an agent of the Egyptian government is as absurd as it is false.”