The lawmaker didn’t address whether he would seek reelection next year.
Mr. Menendez said that cash discovered in his home and cited as evidence against him was actually a stash of savings for emergencies, not bribe money. He asked for the presumption of innocence in his case.
“A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All people,” Mr. Menendez told a group of reporters. “I asked for nothing more and deserve nothing less. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system.”
The lawmaker said he believed that he would be exonerated and that sometimes prosecutors get the facts wrong.
“I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey’s senior senator,” he said.
Mr. Menendez made his comments at Hudson County Community College’s campus in Union City, where he grew up, and referenced his family history to explain what was found during a search of his residence.
“For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” he said. “Now, this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years,”
The lawmaker also said he would “look forward to addressing other issues at trial.”
Aside from that, the press secretary said the White House’s position is that the accusations against the New Jersey Democrat are a “serious matter” and other decisions about his future in the upper chamber of Congress should be left up to the Senate leadership.
In exchange for the bribes, Mr. Menendez, at the time chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, allegedly used his power and influence to “protect and enrich” the businessmen and Egypt, which receives more than $1 billion in grants and military equipment sales annually from the U.S. government.
These alleged actions included providing sensitive, nonpublic information to the Egyptian government and pressuring a top official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to safeguard a monopoly secured by one of the businessmen.
Late on Sept. 22, he made a statement in response to calls for his resignation, defending his decision to remain in office.
“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty,” Mr. Menendez said in a statement, noting that he would “continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades.”
“It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat,” he said. “I am not going anywhere.”
On the same day the senator stated that he wouldn’t resign his office, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that Mr. Menendez would step down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in response to mounting calls for his resignation.
“Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial,” Mr. Schumer said in a statement. “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to step down temporarily from his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee until the matter has been resolved.”
“We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me.”
“I grew up in New Jersey and am proud to raise my family here,” Mr. Kim said in a statement on the website. “I believe more than ever that New Jersey needs hard-working, trustworthy leaders focused on the common good and injecting some integrity and civility back into our politics.”
