Menendez pleads not guilty to acting as an Egyptian foreign agent

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez on Monday pleaded not guilty to allegations that he and his wife conspired with a businessman in Egypt to act as an unregistered foreign agent for the state.

Menendez and his wife entered a separate not guilty plea in late September on federal bribery and fraud charges after prosecutors said they discovered gold bars and large sums of cash in their home. Prosecutors announced a superseding indictment in mid-October that included the foreign agent charge.

The New Jersey senator entered his Monday plea in Manhattan Federal Court, according to the Associated Press. His trial is currently scheduled for May of 2024.

Menendez has thus far resisted calls for his resignation, though he did step down from his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in accordance with Democratic conference rules.

Polling data shows that New Jerseyans overwhelmingly want him to resign amid the charges. A recent Fairleigh Dickinson University survey revealed that 70% of residents want him to quit while just 16% want him to finish his current term.

He faces reelection in 2024.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.