Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to obstruction charges in new federal indictment

Source: ABC News

March 11, 2024, 11:25 AM


New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty Monday to obstruction charges contained in a new federal indictment filed in Manhattan that added to the bribery and corruption charges he already faced.

"Once again not guilty your honor," Menendez said. Menendez came to court alongside his wife, Nadine, who also pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

Federal prosecutors said the couple allegedly tried to make bribes -- that took the form of a new Mercedes-Benz and a mortgage payment -- look like loans. The pair allegedly instructed their attorneys at the time to tell federal investigators they thought a mortgage payment on Nadine Menendez's house and a payment for her Mercedes-Benz were loans when, in fact, prosecutors said they knew the payments were bribes.

When Menendez and his wife learned of the federal investigation in 2022, prosecutors said they sought to cover up the bribe payments. Menendez, his wife and two New Jersey businessmen -- all of whom pleaded not guilty to the new obstruction counts -- are scheduled to stand trial in May. On Monday, Judge Sidney Stein declined Bob Menendez's request to adjourn the trial date in light of the new charges.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/sen-bob-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-obstruction-charges-new-federal-indictment/story?id=108008067