He Democratic Senator Bob Menendezcharged with allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and use his influence to favor New Jersey businessmen and the Government of Egypt, has resigned as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Senate.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Upper House, Chuck Schumer, has indicated in a brief statement that Menendez has decided to temporarily resign “until the matter is resolved.”
Thus, he has defended that “he has been a dedicated official and has always fought for the people of New Jersey”, which is why he has highlighted that “he has the right to a fair trial.”
Second accusation
It is not the first time that the 69-year-old senator has had to resign from the coveted position on the Senate Foreign Committee. In 2015, he also resigned after being accused in New Jersey of having accepted bribes from a Florida doctor, a case that led to a mistrial due to the lack of a unanimous verdict by the jury.
The case, in which the senator’s wife is also named, examines the payments that Menendez would have received in exchange for certain favors and that include not only cash but also luxury goods, including a car, according to the Department of Justice. . However, both have denied the allegations.
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The searches have already resulted in the discovery of $480,000 in cash, kept in envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe. Authorities have also located gold bars worth another $100,000.
Federal investigators suspect, after a year of investigations, that Menendez used sensitive official information and interfered in the work of the Prosecutor’s Office or the Department of Agriculture, to try to prevent them from harming related people. He even went so far as to propose a name as a candidate for district attorney with a view to having more influence, NBC News reports.