Senator Bob Menendez steps down as chairman of Foreign Relations Committee after indictment

(Patria) - The American senator has temporarily resigned as head of the powerful Foreign Relations
Committee as he faces bribery charges, the BBC reported.

Justice Department prosecutors allege that Robert Menendez and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for aiding the Egyptian government. The couple has denied the charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday that Menendez had decided to step down as chairman of the influential committee "until the matter is resolved." He said his colleague is "a dedicated public servant and has always fought fiercely for the people of New Jersey."

This is not the first time Menendez (69), who has been in Congress since 2006, has had to step down from a leadership role on the Foreign Affairs panel. He also stepped down in 2015 after being indicted in New Jersey on charges of accepting bribes from a Florida doctor. That case ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

The Democrat from Maryland, Ben Cardin, who took over as the leading Democrat on the committee at the time, is expected to temporarily fill the vacancy again.

Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, are accused of accepting bribes in the form of cash, gold, home mortgage payments, and a luxury vehicle from three New Jersey businessmen.

Prosecutors claim the couple accepted the money to secretly help the Egyptian government and enrich the three men: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. According to the 39-page indictment unsealed on Friday, Menendez's leadership position and power as a senator enabled such influence peddling.

The couple faces three felony counts: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion. Mrs. Menendez has denied any wrongdoing and said she will defend herself in court.
Menendez has sought to portray the charges as politically motivated.

"For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly tried to silence my voice and dig my political grave," he said in a lengthy statement. "Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active campaign of slander from anonymous sources and innuendo to create an atmosphere of impropriety where none exists," he added.

"I am confident that this matter will be resolved successfully when all the facts are presented and the people of New Jersey will see that," he said.

In the summer of 2022, federal agents executed search warrants at Menendez's home and found evidence of bribery schemes, including over $480,000 in cash, much of it "stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe," prosecutors said.

Agents said they also found a luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicle paid for by Uribe parked in the garage, as well as $100,000 in gold bars in the home, photos of which were included in the indictment. As a result of the charges, forfeiture of some of Menendez's and his wife's assets, including their New Jersey home, has been sought.

Menendez, his wife, and the three co-defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan on September 27.