OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
12:02 PM – Tuesday, January 9, 2023
While speaking on the Senate floor over his corruption charges, Senator Bob Menendez said that he’s innocent and intends to prove it.
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On Tuesday, Senator Menendez (D-N.J.) argued that the government’s tactics against him harm the political establishment.
“The United States Attorney’s office has engaged not in a prosecution, but a persecution,” Menendez said.
Menendez’s speech comes as he and his wife face multiple corruption charges. He is accused of accepting bribes and using his position as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman to personally benefit from the Egyptian government.
Meanwhile, a superseding indictment accused the Democrat of helping the Qatari government arrange a deal with a New Jersey real estate developer.
Coming to his own defense, Menendez argued that all of the information mentioned in the superseding indictments has been available to the Justice Department since the very beginning.
“Why did the government not proceed with all of these accusations from the beginning?” he questioned. “The answer is clear to me. By filing three indictments, it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press. It poisons the jury pool, and it seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion.”
The 70-year-old maintained that he has held the two countries accountable and has been steadfast when it comes to human rights.
He highlighted Senate and Congressional delegations that traveled to Egypt in 2021 and 2023. Menendez claimed that the indictment “tellingly fails” to mention moments where he confronted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over the worsening human rights situation.
“You can’t challenge the leader of an authoritarian state in public and among other members of Congress and take actions adverse to their interests, and at the same time serve as an agent of that foreign government,” Menendez argued.
The embattled senator became emotional near the end of his speech, but asserted that he has never chosen “the easy path” and does not plan on starting anytime soon.
“After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee,” Menendez said. “But I have never violated the public trust. I have been a patriot for and of my country.”
Although Menendez has stepped down from his committee position, he has still pleaded not guilty and refuses to resign.
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