CNN
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New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not responsible on Monday to 12 new felony costs alleging he tried to impede a federal investigation into bribery allegations.
Menendez was indicted last week on new costs together with bribery and extortion. Prosecutors alleged that he led his legal professionals to supply false data in interviews with investigators, together with claiming that the alleged unlawful bribery had been loans.
That is the senator’s third look in court docket to plead not responsible to costs associated to the investigation.
His spouse, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, was additionally arraigned on Monday earlier than Choose Sidney Stein within the Southern District of New York and pleaded not responsible to the brand new costs.
Two different co-defendants are additionally anticipated to be arraigned.
Together with Menendez and his spouse, and two different co-defendants plead not responsible to conspiracy costs in October 2023 alleging that the senator conspired to behave as a overseas agent of Egypt after he was indicted in September on corruption-related offenses and accused of accepting “tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes” in trade for the senator’s affect,
The brand new costs come after a fifth defendant, New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty in early March and is cooperating with prosecutors.
Menendez has maintained he’s harmless because the first indictment and the opposite costs have ensued. He additionally advised CNN he wouldn’t resign from the Senate within the wake of the brand new costs.