Washington — Senator Bob Menendez was hard at work in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, but in just four days he will find himself in a Manhattan courtroom as a criminal defendant battling federal corruption charges linked to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The New Jersey Democrat informed CBS News that he intends to be present at his trial every day "subject to the schedule." When questioned about whether he would testify, Menendez replied, "that's to be determined."
The Senate's calendar shows that it will be in session for the majority of the upcoming month, with the exception of the week of Memorial Day.
Menendez has maintained his innocence ever since he was first charged in September with corruption and bribery offenses alongside his wife, Nadine Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen. Subsequently, the prosecutors broadened the accusations to include obstruction of justice and conspiring to act as a foreign agent, alleging that Menendez, his wife, and one of the three New Jersey businessmen leveraged the senator's position to benefit the government of Egypt. Federal law prohibits Menendez, a public official, from acting as a foreign agent.
Menendez is confronting 16 criminal charges, while his wife, who will be facing a separate trial due to health concerns, is up against 15 charges.
The Senator's Legal Troubles
Recent developments suggest that the senator may implicate his wife during the upcoming trial where he will stand alongside two New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. Despite the pleas of not guilty from all three individuals, the situation remains complex.
Another business associate, Jose Uribe, chose a different path by pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with the prosecutors earlier this year.
The accusations against the Menendezes involve the acceptance of extravagant gifts such as cash, gold bars, a luxury car, and mortgage payments from businessmen who allegedly aimed to leverage the senator's influence for personal gain and to interfere with legal proceedings involving Egypt and Qatar. To conceal these bribes, Menendez and his wife reportedly disguised them as loan repayments through checks to the businessmen.
Menendez has justified his practice of keeping large sums of cash at home as a traditional behavior rooted in his family's history in Cuba. His legal team has requested the testimony of a psychiatrist to shed light on two traumatic events in the senator's life that supposedly led to this behavior - the confiscation of his family's funds by the Cuban government and his father's tragic suicide. However, prosecutors have raised objections to this proposed testimony.
Refusal to Step Down
Despite mounting pressure, including calls from his fellow Democratic politicians, Menendez has remained steadfast in his decision not to resign following the indictment.
Menendez defended himself on Thursday when questioned about the comparison between his situation and that of Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar from Texas, who was recently charged with bribery along with his wife. "In my opinion, everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty," Menendez stated. "The same goes for Congressman Cuellar. How individuals choose to perceive it is up to them."
