Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey on Monday defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash

That

The authorities found in his home came from his personal savings, not bribes, and were ready for emergencies.

The influential chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee rejected mounting calls for him to resign, saying he believed he would be acquitted of charges that he accepted cash and gold in illegal exchanges for helping business partners from Egypt and New Jersey.

“I recognize that this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this trial, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be acquitted, but I will still have the senior senator from New Jersey,” he said. Menendez said on the campus of Hudson County Community College in Union City, where he grew up.

He did not respond to questions and did not say whether he would seek re-election next year.

Responding to allegations in the indictment unsealed Friday that authorities found cash in envelopes and clothing at his home, Menendez said it stemmed from his parents’ fear of seizure of money from their time in Cuba.

This may seem old fashioned, but these were funds drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I legally earned over those 30 years, he said.

Gold Bars, Cash-Stuffed Envelopes: New Indictment Against Senator Menendez Alleges Massive Corruption

According to the indictment, authorities found approximately 10 envelopes containing tens of thousands of dollars in cash that contained the fingerprints of one of the other defendants in the case.

Menendez also addressed his relationship with Egypt, which plays a central role in the charges against him, suggesting he has been tough on the country over its detention of Americans and other human rights abuses.

“If you look at my actions regarding Egypt during the period described in this indictment and throughout my career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable,” he said.

Prosecutors say he met with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, passed on non-public information about employees of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and wrote a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues for a freeze on $300 million in to release help. He did not directly address these allegations on Monday.

The state’s Democratic leadership, including Gov. Phil Murphy, state party chairs and legislative leaders, along with some of Menendez’s congressional colleagues are calling on him to resign.

However, in Washington, where his party has a bare majority in the Senate, some of Menendez’s Democratic colleagues have failed to urge him to give up his seat, especially the majority leader.

Chuck Charles E.

Schumer of New York and Majority Whip

Dick RichardJ.

Durbin from Illinois.

Why should Egypt bribe a US senator?

However, Menendez resigned as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee as required, Schumer said

on

Friday, when the charges were unveiled.

If he seeks re-election, Menendez will face at least one challenger in next year’s primaries, after Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced over the weekend that he will run for Senate over the charges against the state’s senior senator.

Menendez’s reelection campaign could face significant hurdles beyond the criminal charges, the second he faces in eight years, in light of opposition from state party leaders.

If the Democratic Party abandons Menendez, he could lose a powerful advantage of party support: the so-called party line, or preferential voting placement in the primaries, which is widely seen as a significant boost to the incumbent and to those who seek the support of the have an establishment.

Menendez has denied any wrongdoing in the federal case against him, his wife and three of their business associates. In an emailed statement last week, he accused prosecutors of misrepresenting the normal operations of a congressional office and said he will not allow his work in the Senate to be distracted by baseless allegations. A lawyer for his wife said she denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously fight these allegations in court.

Who is Robert Menendez? The New Jersey senator accused of corruption is a political survivor

He and Nadine Menendez are accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold and a luxury car from a trio of New Jersey businessmen for a variety of corrupt acts.

The indictment alleges that Menendez used his power to interfere in three criminal cases, pressured U.S. agricultural regulators to protect an associate’s business interests, and used his position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to influence U.S. policy toward of Egypt.

Federal agents who searched his home in 2022 found more than $480,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe, and gold bars worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said. Bee

additional others

$70,000 was discovered in his wife’s safe

ty

locker, they said.

Some Menendez supporters attend the press conference. Among them was Manny Contreras, a resident of nearby Passaic County, who said he came to show his support for Menendez and had voted for him for years.

“It’s a big deal for the Latino community. We don’t want to see him leave, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Contreras said.

He said if Menendez were found guilty he would have to reconsider his support, but because of the good things in it

the

Menendez’s long career, he was willing to let the process play out.

Catalini reported from Trenton.