US Senator Bob Menendez Set for May 6 Trial

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife Nadine Arslanian arrive at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York on Sept. 27, 2023. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), his wife, and three co-defendants will face a May 6 trial on bribery and corruption charges, a New York judge decided Monday.

During the hearing, prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that the investigation was ongoing and there could be a superseding indictment in the case.

The pre-trial proceedings are expected to continue for several months as prosecutors share all discovery items with the defense teams.

Provided the trial date isn’t changed between now and next year, it will fall only one month before New Jersey’s June 4 primary, where voters will decide whether to re-elect Mr. Menendez, 69, to the Senate.

All five defendants have pleaded not guilty.

In a Sept. 25 press briefing, Mr. Menendez said the accusations against him were categorically false and asked for the presumption of innocence in his case.

“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 at the time.

The Epoch Times contacted Sen. Bob Menendez office for comment but did not hear back before publication.

Accusations

According to Sept. 21 court documents from the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, Mr. Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez are accused of accepting bribes from three New Jersey associates and businessmen.

Prosecutors allege businessmen Will Hana, with his business associates Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, engaged in a corrupt relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Menendez from at least 2018 and throughout some of 2022.

The DOJ said that Mr. Hana, originally from Egypt, was granted a business monopoly by the Egyptian government and “maintained close connections with Egyptian officials.”

It’s alleged that Mr. and Mrs. Menendez accepted thousands of dollars, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, a luxury vehicle, and “other things of value” from Mr. Hana, Mr. Uribe and Mr. Daibes.

In exchange, Mr. Menendez allegedly used his “power and influence” as a senator to enrich Mr. Hana, Mr. Uribe, and Mr. Daibes, and protect them from prosecution.

Mr. Menendez is also accused of using his position to aid the Egyptian government.

Authorities seized both gold and cash when a search warrant was executed at the Menendez residence in June, 2022.

According to the court documents, multiple counts of conspiracy have been filed against Mr. and Mrs. Menendez: bribery, honest services fraud, and extortion under color of law.

Mr. Hana, Mr. Uribe, and Mr. Daibes are only accused of honest services fraud and bribery.

Calls for Resignation

This is Mr. Menendez’s second corruption case in recent memory, with a 2017 trial with similar charges ending with jurors failing to reach a verdict.

In the wake of the current allegations, Mr. Menendez has resigned as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. However, he has stated publicly that he is confident of being cleared of all charges and has no plans to leave the Senate.

Others among the Democrats are calling for his resignation though.

Senator Cory Booker speaks in Newark, N.J., on June 8, 2013. Ramin Talaie/Getty Images

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) shared in a Sept. 26 statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, that while his fellow senator could be innocent of corruption-related charges, he should not serve in the Senate while facing them.

“A jury of his peers will make the ultimate decision as to whether he is criminally guilty,” Mr. Booker said.

“There is, however, another higher standard for public officials, one not of criminal law but of common ideals,” he added.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) previously shied away from calling on Mr. Menendez to step down but has since changed his mind.

In a Sept. 27 statement posted to X, he called on Mr. Menendez to step down as well.

Mr. Menendez is also facing a challenge from Rep. Andrew Kim (D-N.J.), who announced plans to run against him on Sept. 23.

“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said ‘I am not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to run against him,” Mr. Kim said. “Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity.”