Democratic Senator Menendez is scheduled to appear in his first trial in May.
U.S. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez (New Jersey), who was indicted on bribery charges, was additionally tried for obstruction of justice.
According to local media such as the New York Times (NYT) and CNN on the 5th (local time), federal prosecutors in Manhattan, New York, additionally indicted Senator Menendez and his wife on charges of obstruction of justice.
Federal prosecutors said the couple attempted to deceive law enforcement authorities into believing that the bribe was a loan.
Representative Menendez and his wife are also accused of having a lawyer make a false statement regarding bribery charges during the prosecution’s investigation.
The additional indictment on this day was applied separately in addition to the existing charges, and the charges against Rep. Menendez increased from 4 to 18.
Prosecutors previously charged Menendez with secretly supporting Egypt’s authoritarian government and trying to block a friend’s criminal prosecution in exchange for gold and cash.
Representative Menendez is accused of handing over diplomatic information for the purpose of concluding a contract between a businessman who bribed him and a foreign government.
Prosecutors said in the indictment that he failed to distinguish between his duty to put the interests of the United States first and his personal interest in cultivating relationships with wealthy businessmen.
It was also revealed that he and his wife received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and luxury cars in return for favors from three businessmen using his influence.
Prosecutors said that while searching Senator Menendez’s home, police found gold bars worth $100,000 (133.65 million won) and more than $480,000 (approximately 640 million won) in cash hidden there.
Prosecutors found that Rep. Menendez also paid part of the housing loan to a businessman.
Representative Menendez completely denied the charges against him.
He rejected the Democratic Party’s demand for his resignation without clearly stating whether he would seek re-election in the Senate election held along with the US presidential election in November.
Representative Menendez and his wife and two New Jersey businessmen are scheduled to face their first trial in May.
While it has been assessed that Rep. Menendez’s election bid has become more difficult due to the bribery indictment, Rep. Andy Kim (New Jersey) of the same party will become the first Korean to run for a federal senatorial seat.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.