Addressing claims of money stuffed in envelopes and clothes at his house, Bob Menendez stated it stems from his dad and mom’ worry of confiscation of funds from their time in Cuba
UNION CITY, N.J. — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed again towards federal corruption costs on Monday, saying practically half 1,000,000 {dollars} in money authorities present in his house was from his private financial savings, not from bribes, and was readily available for emergencies.
Rejecting rising requires him to resign, the influential chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee stated he believed he’d be cleared of costs that he took money and gold in unlawful change for serving to Egypt and New Jersey enterprise associates.
“I acknowledge this would be the greatest combat but, however as I’ve acknowledged all through this complete course of, I firmly imagine that when all of the details are offered, not solely will I be exonerated, however I nonetheless shall be New Jersey’s senior senator,” Menendez stated at Hudson County Neighborhood Faculty’s campus in Union Metropolis, the place he grew up.
He didn’t reply to questions and didn’t say whether or not he would search reelection subsequent 12 months.
Addressing allegations within the indictment unsealed Friday that authorities discovered money stuffed in envelopes and clothes at his house, Menendez stated that stemmed from his dad and mom’ worry of confiscation of funds from their time in Cuba.
“This may increasingly appear quaint, however these had been monies drawn from my private financial savings account based mostly on the earnings that I’ve lawfully derived over these 30 years,” he stated.
Authorities recovered about 10 envelopes with tens of hundreds of {dollars} in money that had the fingerprints of one of many different defendants within the case on them, in line with the indictment.
Menendez additionally addressed his relationship with Egypt, which performs a central function within the indictment towards him, suggesting he’s been robust on the nation over its detention of People and different “human rights abuses.”
“In case you have a look at my actions associated to Egypt in the course of the interval described on this indictment and all through my complete profession, my file is obvious and constant in holding Egypt accountable,” he stated.
Prosecutors say he met with Egyptian army and intelligence officers, handed alongside personal details about staff on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwrote a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues to launch a maintain on $300 million price of support. He didn’t immediately handle these allegations Monday.
The state’s Democratic management, together with Gov. Phil Murphy, the state get together chairmen and leaders of the Legislature, together with a few of Menendez’s congressional colleagues, are calling on him to resign.
In Washington, nevertheless, the place his get together holds a naked Senate majority, a few of Menendez’s Democratic colleagues have stopped in need of urging him to surrender his seat, notably Majority Chief Chuck Schumer of New York, and Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois.
Though Schumer has not referred to as for Menendez to step down, different members of his caucus have. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Vermont Sen. Peter Welch referred to as for his resignation on Monday, following Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Saturday.
Menendez did, nevertheless, step down as required as chairman of the Overseas Relations Committee, Schumer stated on Friday, when the indictment was unsealed.
If he seeks reelection, Menendez will face not less than one challenger in a major subsequent 12 months after Democratic Rep. Andy Kim introduced over the weekend that he’ll run for the Senate due to the costs towards the state’s senior senator.
Menendez’s reelection marketing campaign may face important hurdles moreover the prison indictment, the second he has confronted in eight years, in gentle of opposition from state get together leaders.
If the Democratic Celebration abandons Menendez, he may lose a potent good thing about get together assist: the so-called get together line, or most well-liked poll placement within the major, broadly considered a big enhance to incumbents and people with institution backing.
Menendez has denied any wrongdoing within the federal case towards him, his spouse and three of their enterprise associates. In an emailed assertion final week, he accused prosecutors of misrepresenting “the traditional work of a congressional workplace” and stated he won’t enable his work within the Senate to be distracted by “baseless allegations.” A lawyer for his spouse stated she “denies any prison conduct and can vigorously contest these costs in court docket.”
He and Nadine Menendez are accused of accepting a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} in money, gold and a luxurious automotive from a trio of New Jersey businessmen for a wide range of corrupt acts.
The indictment stated Menendez used his clout to intervene in three prison instances, pressured U.S. agriculture regulators to guard an affiliate’s enterprise pursuits, and used his place as chairman of the Overseas Relations Committee to affect U.S. coverage on Egypt.
Federal brokers who searched his house in 2022 discovered greater than $480,000 in money stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothes, closets and a protected, and gold bars price greater than $100,000, prosecutors stated. One other $70,000 was found inside his spouse’s security deposit field, they stated.
Some Menendez supporters attended the information convention. Amongst them was Manny Contreras, a resident of close by Passaic County, who stated he got here to point out his assist for Menendez and had been voting for him for years.
“It’s a giant drawback for the Latino neighborhood, we don’t wish to see him go, we’ve got to offer him the good thing about the doubt,” Contreras stated.
He stated if Menendez had been discovered responsible, he must rethink his assist, however due to the nice issues within the Menendez’s lengthy profession, he was prepared to let the method play out.
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Related Press author Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.
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