Top U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges amid growing calls for his resignation. Menendez entered his not-guilty plea in federal court in New York, just days after the Democratic Party legislator expressed confidence that he would be exonerated in the criminal case.
Federal prosecutors have accused Menendez of accepting bribes in exchange for political favors, including advancing Egyptian government interests. Authorities found gold bars and large amounts of cash in envelopes in Menendez’s home, which they linked to the corruption scheme.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Menendez has had a major influence on U.S. policy towards Egypt, including the approval of weapon sales and aid to Cairo.
Some of his political allies, including pro-Israel groups, have come to his defense since the indictment was announced, while dozens of fellow Democrats in Congress have urged him to step down. Menendez has temporarily withdrawn from his role as chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations but has vowed to fight the charges against him.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}