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Thursday 28 sepTember 2023
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to pocketing bribes in a

wide-ranging corruption case

Continued from Front ing hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of bribes
A defiant Menendez has from three New Jersey busi-
said allegations that he nessmen seeking help from
abused his power to line his the longtime lawmaker.
pockets are baseless. He Prosecutors allege repeat-
has said he is confident he ed actions by Menendez
will be exonerated and has to benefit the authoritar-
no intention of leaving the ian government of Egypt.
Senate. They say Menendez also
Still, calls for Menendez to tried to interfere in criminal
resign continued to mount investigations involving as-
on Wednesday with Illinois sociates, in one case push-
Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. ing to install in New Jersey
2 Senate Democrat, say- a federal prosecutor who
ing "he should step down." he believed he could influ-
More than half of Senate ence to derail a case.
Democrats have now said Two of the businessmen,
that Menendez should re- Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes,
sign, including fellow New also pleaded not guilty
Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. and were freed pending
Senate Majority Leader trial. They did not speak to
Chuck Schumer, speak- Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez leave federal court, Wednesday, Sept. 27, reporters as they left the
ing to reporters hours af- 2023, in New York. Associated Press courthouse and their at-
ter Menendez's court ap- torneys also declined to
pearance, did not call for fell way, way below that who was forced to step passport that would allow comment. The third, Wael
Menendez to resign and standard," said Schumer, down as chairman of the him to travel outside the Hana, pleaded not guilty
said Menendez would ad- D-N.Y. powerful Senate Foreign U.S. for government busi- Tuesday to charges includ-
dress his Democratic col- Menendez spoke in court Relations Committee after ness. The judge ordered ing conspiracy to com-
leagues on Thursday. "We only when each defend- being indicted. him not to have contact mit bribery. Hana was ar-
all know that senators -- for ant stood to acknowledge The senator was released outside of the presence of rested at Kennedy Airport
senators, there's a much that they understood the on a $100,000 bond, and lawyers with his co-defend- on Tuesday after returning
much higher standard. And charges against them. A he must surrender any per- ants except for his wife. voluntarily from Egypt to
clearly, when you read the lawyer entered the not sonal passports but will be He also cannot talk about face the charges, and was
indictment, Sen. Menendez guilty plea for Menendez, allowed to keep an official the case, outside of the freed pending trial.
presence of lawyers, with Menendez, in his first public
members of his Senate remarks after last week's in-
staff, Foreign Relations dictment, said on Monday
Committee staff or political that the cash found in his
advisers who have person- home was drawn from his
al knowledge about the personal savings accounts
allegations. It was not im- over the years and that he
mediately clear how those kept it on hand for emer-
restrictions would affect gencies.
his work. Maryland Sen. One of the envelopes full
Ben Cardin was approved of cash found at his home,
Wednesday as the new however, bore Daibes'
chairman of the Foreign DNA and was marked with
Relations panel. the real estate developer's
It's the second corruption return address, according
case in a decade against to prosecutors.
Menendez, whose last trial Prosecutors said Hana
involving different allega- promised to put Menen-
tions ended with jurors fail- dez's wife on his com-
ing to reach a verdict in pany's payroll in a low- or
2017. Authorities say they no-show job in exchange
found nearly $500,000 in for Menendez using his in-
cash, much of it hidden fluential post to facilitate
in clothing and closets, as foreign military sales and fi-
well as more than $100,000 nancing to Egypt. Prosecu-
in gold bars in a search tors allege Hana also paid
of the New Jersey home $23,000 toward her home
Menendez, 69, shares with mortgage, wrote $30,000
his wife. checks to her consulting
Menendez's wife was re- company, promised her
leased on $250,000 bond envelopes of cash, sent her
secured by her home in exercise equipment and
her Englewood Cliffs, New bought some of the gold
Jersey. Prosecutors say she bars that were found in the
played a key role in collect- couple's home.q