Sen. Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Corruption Charges in New York Court

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal corruption charges in a New York court. The charges allege that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, used his influence to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

The judge approved the conditions for Menendez’s release, including a $100,000 personal recognizance bond, pretrial supervision and a requirement to surrender his personal passports, but not his official one. Attorneys for Menendez and his wife entered pleas of not guilty at their arraignment in the morning before Magistrate Judge Ona Wang.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not called for Menendez to resign, despite increasing pressure from fellow Democrats. Menendez temporarily stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after he was indicted, but he has refused to resign from Congress’ upper chamber.

The charges against Menendez include bribery, conspiracy, fraud and making false statements. He is accused of using his political power to do favors for multiple businessmen and further the interests of the Egyptian government. If convicted, Menendez could face up to 20 years in prison.

The case against Menendez is being closely watched by both Democrats and Republicans. It is the first time a sitting senator has been indicted since 2009, when Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was charged with making false statements. The case against Stevens was later dismissed.