For the third time in six months, Senator Robert Menendez stood before a judge in Manhattan on Monday to be arraigned on new criminal charges filed as part of an expansive federal bribery investigation.
Mr. Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, has previously pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice, a charge added last week in an updated indictment against the senator; his wife, Nadine Menendez; and two New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes.
The new charges come less than two months before the scheduled start of the trial, May 6.
The obstruction of justice charge appears to be related to information provided by Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker charged in September in the bribery conspiracy.
Persons:
Robert Menendez, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe, Uribe
Organizations:
Benz
Locations:
Manhattan, New Jersey, Jersey