Veteran US senator Bob Menendez has temporarily stepped aside as chairman of the Senate’s key Foreign Relations Committee due to bribery charges according to the BBC. According to the Justice Department, Robert Menendez and his wife received large quantities of money in exchange for supporting Egypt’s government.
What did federal authorities find at Menendez’s residence?
Federal officials discovered gold bars worth over $100,000 and over $480,000 in cash during a search of the Menendez family’s home and safe deposit box last summer. According to prosecutors, much of this money was concealed in envelopes and secreted in garments, closets, and a safe, according to Politico.
During a news conference on Friday morning (September 22), US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams displayed images of the gold bars and a fraction of the cash.
Bob Menendez and his wife fiercely refute these charges. Despite calls from fellow Democrats in his home state of New Jersey for him to quit, the vulnerable senator has refused.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that Menendez has opted to resign as chairman of the important committee “until the matter has been resolved.” Schumer, a New York Democrat, lauded Menendez as a devoted public servant who constantly advocates for the people of New Jersey.
This is not the first time Menendez, 69, who has served in Congress since 2006, has been forced to resign from his coveted post on the Foreign Relations Committee.
He earlier resigned in 2015 after being charged in New Jersey with taking bribes from a Florida eye doctor. After jurors failed to achieve a unanimous verdict, the case was declared mistrial.
Ben Cardin expected to temporarily fill Menendez’s senate seat
Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin, who previously served as the committee’s top Democrat, is anticipated to temporarily fill the seat once more.
Menendez’s position of leadership and influence as a senator, according to the 39-page indictment released on Friday, aided this alleged influence-peddling. Menendez and his wife are each charged with three felonies: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under the guise of official power.
Bob Menendez has portrayed the allegations as politically motivated, stating, “For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave.”
He believes the probe has been marred by a smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos designed to create an appearance of impropriety where none exists.
