New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (D) pleaded not guilty to accusations he acted as a foreign agent.
On Monday, Menendez entered his plea to the unprecedented charge alleging he conspired with his wife and a New Jersey businessman to act as an unregistered foreign agent of the Egyptian government.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege Menendez “secretly aided” and provided sensitive U.S. government information to Egypt, marking the first time a sitting U.S. senator has been accused of working on behalf of another country.
The senior senator called the new charge “an attempt to wear someone down” in a statement to The Hill earlier this month that maintained his innocence.
The additional charge came after Menendez and his wife, Nadine, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges last month after being indicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. (RELATED: Sen. Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty)
American Liberty News previously reported:
The Justice Department has announced additional charges against New Jersey‘s senior United States senator and his wife for conspiracy to act as a foreign agent.
Thursday’s superseding indictment alleges Menendez “provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.”
As a senator, Menendez is prohibited from acting as a foreign agent even as registered under FARA. The new charge cites a statute related to FARA that explicitly bars public officials from actions that would trigger registration. Several FARA experts previously told The Hill that the statute has never been charged, underlying the extraordinary nature of the accusation.
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