Menendez Says He Will Not Resign, Is Innocent After Bribery Indictment

NEW JERSEY — Senator Robert Menendez said he is confident in his innocence as he made public remarks on Monday, not delivering the resignation many fellow Democrats have been calling for since the senator's indictment on bribery charges last week.

A number of high-ranking Democrats including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, have called for the senior senator from New Jersey to step down, after an indictment last week outlined sweeping bribery and corruption charges against Menendez, his wife, and three businessmen. And, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) has put his name forward as one of the people looking to challenge Menendez for his Senate seat.

But Menendez denied the claims and said those who are calling for his resignation have "rushed to judgment," falling short of announcing an official re-election campaign but standing firm in his assertions of innocence. Menendez spoke at Hudson County Community College’s campus in Union City, where he grew up, late Monday morning.

“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 the New Jersey’s senior senator,” Menendez said, adding that prosecutors can "get it wrong."

He did not take questions from reporters, and did not address whether he will seek reelection next year.

The remarks were during his first public appearance since the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed a three-count indictment Friday against Menendez, his wife Nadine, and three businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.

In the indictment, officials allege the senator and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, in exchange for using Menendez's power and influence in the Senate to benefit those three men and also the country of Egypt.

The alleged bribes include cash, gold, a Mercedes-Benz, and payments toward a home mortgage.

The indictment also said Menendez used his clout to interfere in three criminal cases, pressured federal agriculture regulators to protect an associate’s business interests, and used his position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to influence U.S. policy on Egypt.

The indictment also alleges that Menendez recommended that the President nominate someone as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey that Menendez "believed he could influence" in one of the cases.

Prosecutors said Menendez met with Egyptian military and intelligence officials and passed along non-public information about employees at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, as well as ghostwriting a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues to release a hold on $300 million worth of aid.

Federal agents executed search warrants at the Menendezes' home in June 2022 and also searched their safety deposit box. Agents found more than $480,000 in cash, "much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe" according to the indictment.

Menendez said the cash (including some which was stuffed in his U.S. Senate jacket) was from his own personal savings. He said Monday that he has a habit of keeping cash on hand for emergencies, because of his family's history of fearing their funds being confiscated in Cuba.

"Those who rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution to be a salacious as possible," Menendez said. "Remember, prosecutors get it wrong."

Menendez, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2006, has been forced to step aside as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee while the legal process unfolds. He and the other defendants are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Garden State politicians from both sides of the aisle have called for him to resign his seat, including Gov. Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, and Republican legislative leadership.

"Under our legal system, Senator Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process," said Murphy. "However, the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation."

Over the weekend, Pennsylvania's John Fetterman became the first Senator to say Menendez should step down.

"He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations," Fetterman said. "I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial."

And, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan that she also believes it is in Menendez's "best interest" to step down.

"Consistency matters," she said. "It shouldn't matter whether it's a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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