Senator Bob Menendez faces new charges against him for illegally acting as a foreign agent and accepting bribes using his "power and influence as a senator."
This Thursday, federal prosecutors presented a superseding indictment in Manhattan federal court that adds charges related to violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act to the initial indictment against the New Jersey Democrat.
“Menéndez provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt” in exchange for alleged bribes, the indictment states, adding that the defendant accepted cash, gold bars and other compensation on the condition of "being influenced in the performance of an official act and for being induced to do an act and omit to do an act in violation of his official duty."
The updated indictment includes revealing details of an alleged meeting that took place in May 2019 between the senator and an Egyptian intelligence official. The conversation reportedly focused on how Congress would respond to the case of a U.S. citizen who was seriously injured by an Egyptian airstrike in 2015.
U.S Senator Menendez accused of acting as a foreign agent. pic.twitter.com/Y6boi46KQF
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 12, 2023
Court documents suggest that, although several members of Congress at the time opposed the idea of the United States assisting Egypt militarily because of that attack, Menendez made efforts to assuage his colleagues' concerns.
Menendez's wife Nadine and Wael Hana, an Egyptian-born New Jersey businessman, are now being accused of helping the Democratic senator favor Egypt without disclosing it to the US government.
The senator pleaded not guilty to the previous charges
The new charges are in addition to the previous indictment against Menéndez that includes charges of conspiracy to commit bribery; attempt and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion based on official position.
Last month the senator pleaded not guilty and the judge released him on $100,000 bail.
