UNION CITY, NJ – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday on charges of bribery, as demands for his resignation from fellow Democrats grow. Menendez, 69, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, 56, are accused of accepting gold bars and cash to leverage the senator’s influence for Egypt’s government and to obstruct law enforcement investigations into three New Jersey businessmen.
Along with Menendez, businessmen Jose Uribe, 56, and Fred Daibes, 66, are also due in court at 10:30 a.m. EDT. A third businessman, Wael Hana, 40, entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday. Nadine Menendez intends to plead not guilty, according to her attorney, David Schertler.
Menendez has stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but vows to stay in the Senate and fight the charges. Over one-third of Democratic Senators, including New Jersey’s Cory Booker, have called for his resignation since the charges were made public last week.
Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate, controlling 51 seats, including three independents who generally vote with them, compared to the Republicans’ 49 seats. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, has called for Menendez to step down and would appoint a temporary replacement if he does so.
The indictment includes images of gold bars and cash seized from the Menendez residence. Prosecutors allege that Hana coordinated meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials, who sought the senator’s approval for military aid, in return for placing Nadine Menendez on a company payroll.
This is the third federal investigation into Menendez, who has not been previously convicted.