{"id":2047442,"date":"2023-09-27T23:41:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T03:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges\/"},"modified":"2023-09-27T23:42:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T03:42:36","slug":"sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Menendez denies bribery charges."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2047442&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Senator Bob Menendez Pleads \u2063Not Guilty to Bribery Charges<\/h2>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senator Bob Menendez (R-N.J.) made\u200d a dramatic\u2062 appearance\u2064 in court on September \u206327, vehemently\u2064 pleading not guilty to bribery\u2064 charges that were leveled against him on September 22.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Amid mounting demands from his colleagues for his resignation from Congress, the New Jersey Democrat and his wife, who are both accused in \u2064the case, entered the lower Manhattan courthouse on the morning of September 27 without uttering a word.<\/p>\n<h3>Allegations of Bribery and Corruption<\/h3>\n<p>On September \u206222,\u200d the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted Mr. Menendez and his wife, Nadine \u200dArslanian Menendez, on\u2064 multiple counts of conspiracy, including bribery, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">honest services fraud<\/a>,\u2063 and extortion under color of law.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>According to charge documents obtained \u200dby The Epoch\u200c Times, Mr. Menendez and his wife allegedly\u2064 accepted \u200chundreds of thousands of\u200c dollars in bribes, including cash, gold, and contributions toward a \u200bmortgage. Authorities\u2064 even seized gold and cash during a search of the Menendez residence in June\u2063 2022.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cotton-says-menendez-should-be-judged-by-jurors-and-voters-not-democrat-politicians-5499388?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Cotton Says Menendez Should Be\u200b Judged\u2062 by Jurors and Voters, Not Democrat Politicians<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cotton-says-menendez-should-be-judged-by-jurors-and-voters-not-democrat-politicians-5499388?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/a-growing-list-of-democrats-call-on-menendez-to-resign-5499058?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>A Growing List of Democrats Call on Menendez to Resign<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/26\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/a-growing-list-of-democrats-call-on-menendez-to-resign-5499058?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Despite the charges, Mr. Menendez \u200bremains defiant and asserts that the allegations against him are baseless. He firmly believes he will be cleared \u200dof all charges and\u2063 has no intention of leaving the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first\u2063 corruption case Mr. Menendez has faced. In 2017, \u2062he stood trial on similar allegations, but the jury failed to reach a verdict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>During a press briefing on September 25, Mr. Menendez <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/menendez-says-money-from-home-seized-by-fbi-was-personal-savings-5497946\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stated<\/a> \u200bthat the accusations\u200b made by prosecutors are completely false. He explained that the money found in his home was personal savings due to his family&#8217;s history \u200bwith \u200ccommunism, and he requested to be presumed innocent \u200buntil proven guilty.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty.\u200d All people,&#8221; Mr. Menendez emphasized to a group \u2064of \u200creporters. &#8220;I asked for nothing \u200bmore and deserve nothing less. The court\u2063 of public opinion is no \u2064substitute \u2064for our \u200brevered justice system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Senator Dick Durbin\u2062 (D-Ill.), \u200dwho had previously refrained from calling for Mr. Menendez&#8217;s resignation, \u2064changed his stance on September 27. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenatorDurbin\/status\/1707032511405015368?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> posted on X \u2063(formerly known as Twitter), Mr. \u200dDurbin acknowledged the calls from New \u2064Jersey leaders, including the Governor and\u2064 his Senate colleague Cory Booker, for Mr. Menendez to step down. Mr. Durbin now believes that resignation is necessary.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;This is a very serious charge. There&#8217;s no question about it,&#8221; Mr. Durbin stated during \u200can interview on CNN&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/videos\/politics\/2023\/09\/24\/sotu-durbin-full.cnn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-reader-unique-id=\"31\">\u201cState of the Union.\u201d<\/a> &#8220;But it&#8217;s important to remember that indictments against\u200d Donald Trump were equally serious charges that needed to \u2063be proven under the \u200crule of law.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Senator\u200c Cory Booker, Mr. Menendez&#8217;s fellow senator from New Jersey, released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cory-booker-calls-on-indicted-fellow-new-jersey-senator-to-resign-5498782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-reader-unique-id=\"11\">statement<\/a> on September 26 expressing his thoughts on his embattled colleague. While praising \u2062Mr. Menendez&#8217;s qualities, Mr. Booker believes that he should step down from office.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr.\u200b Booker described Senator Menendez as &#8220;intellectually gifted, tough, passionate, and deeply empathic,&#8221; and expressed his appreciation for their working relationship and friendship.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A jury will ultimately decide whether he is criminally guilty,&#8221;\u2063 Mr. Booker stated.\u2064 &#8220;However, there \u2064is a higher standard for public officials, one that goes beyond criminal\u2062 law and \u200dfocuses on common \u200bideals.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As senators, we hold the public trust, which is crucial for us to\u200d fulfill our duties and\u2063 serve our constituents.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Given the nature of \u200dthe charges, \u2063Mr. Booker believes that the people \u2064of New Jersey cannot \u200dignore the \u2064possibility of Mr. Menendez&#8217;s guilt and\u2062 that his ability to carry out\u200d his responsibilities may be compromised.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Senator Menendez vehemently maintains his innocence, and it\u200d is understandable that he views stepping down \u2062as fundamentally unfair. \u2063However, I believe it is a necessary step. Stepping down does not imply guilt but\u200c acknowledges the sacrifices and personal costs that come with holding public office,&#8221; Mr. Booker concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Other\u200c Senate Democrats, including Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.),\u200c Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Martin \u2062Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), \u200dMichael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Amy Klobuchar\u200d (D-Minn.), have also joined the chorus calling\u200b for Mr. Menendez&#8217;s resignation.<\/p>\n<p>Later on September 26, Senators Edward Markey \u2064(D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Raphael\u200c Warnock (D-Ga.) added their\u2063 voices\u200d to the growing demand\u200c for Mr. \u2062Menendez \u2062to step down.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/em>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How might the outcome of Senator Menendez&#8217;s legal battle affect his future in politics<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200d &#8220;>9\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<p>          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/a-growing-list-of-democrats-call-on-menendez-to-resign-5499058?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<p>            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/voters-react-to-menendez-indictment-and-what-it-means-for-next-election-5499177?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Voters React to \u200bMenendez Indictment and What It Means for Next Election<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<p>          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/voters-react-to-menendez-indictment-and-what-it-means-for-next-election-5499177?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The indictment\u200d alleges \u2062that Mr. Menendez and his wife accepted bribes from a New York businessman in \u200b\u200dexchange for using their positions to \u2064benefit \u2064his business \u2063interests, including advocating for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges\/\" title=\"Sen. Menendez denies bribery charges.\">lucrative port security contract<\/a> and intervening in a Medicare billing dispute \u2064involving \u2062one of\u2062 his companies.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors contend that the couple used the \u200dbribes to fund a lavish lifestyle, which included luxury vacations, expensive home renovations,\u2064 and private jet travel.<\/p>\n<h3>Legal Battle Ahead<\/h3>\n<p>With his not guilty plea, Senator Menendez now faces\u200d an arduous legal battle \u200bto prove his\u2062 innocence. If convicted, he could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges\/\" title=\"NJ Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez indicted for bribery.\">face significant prison time<\/a> \u2063and could be forced to \u2063resign from his \u2063Senate seat.<\/p>\n<p>However, Senator\u200d Menendez has\u2062 vowed to fight the charges and maintain \u2062his innocence. His defense\u2063 team\u2063 has already begun preparing their case, which is expected to focus \u2062on challenging the credibility of the prosecution&#8217;s key witnesses and evidence.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement released after the \u200bcourt appearance, Senator\u2063 Menendez asserted,\u2063 &#8220;I \u200chave\u2064 always conducted myself with integrity and adhered\u2063 to\u2063 the highest ethical standards. I am innocent of these \u2063charges, and I will ultimately \u2064be vindicated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Political Fallout<\/h3>\n<p>The bribery charges against Senator Menendez have sent shockwaves\u200c through Washington, D.C., and \u2063have led to calls for\u2062 his\u2063 resignation from both\u200b Republicans and\u200d Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Senator\u200b Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said, &#8220;Senator Menendez should be judged by\u2064 jurors and voters, not Democrat politicians. If convicted, he must resign\u2063 immediately.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Several\u200b Democratic colleagues of Senator Menendez have also called on him \u2062to step down. They argue \u2062that the\u2063 charges against him undermine the public&#8217;s trust in Congress and hinder the party&#8217;s ability to advocate for its policy agenda.<\/p>\n<p>However, Senator Menendez has refused to resign, maintaining that he will \u2063continue to serve\u2064 his constituents while fighting to clear \u200chis name.<\/p>\n<h3>Public Opinion and \u200dthe Future of \u200dSenator Menendez<\/h3>\n<p>The impact of the bribery charges on Senator Menendez&#8217;s political career remains to be seen. \u2063Public opinion is \u2062divided, with some calling for his immediate resignation \u2063and others \u2062reserving\u2062 judgment until the conclusion of the legal proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>If Senator Menendez is\u200d acquitted of the\u200b charges or\u200d successfully defends himself in court, it could potentially strengthen his position and allow him to continue his political career. However, a conviction would likely spell the end of his tenure in the Senate and tarnish his reputation irreparably.<\/p>\n<p>The legal \u2064battle\u2063 ahead \u2062will undoubtedly be closely watched by the public and could have significant implications\u2063 for the integrity of Congress \u2064and \u200cthe broader \u2064political \u2064landscape.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>Senator Bob Menendez has\u200b pleaded \u2063not guilty to bribery charges and now \u200bfaces a grueling legal battle to clear his name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Bob Menendez (R-N.J.) pleaded not guilty to bribery charges on Sept. 27. The New Jersey Democrat appeared in a federal court in Manhattan, facing calls for his resignation from Congress. His wife also attended the hearing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1843,"featured_media":2047443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2047442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1843"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2047442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2047443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2047442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2047442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2047442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}