Sen. Bob Menendez charged with federal corruption, bribery
The longtime New Jersey Democrat finds himself in another round of legal peril


New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (D) has been indicted by federal prosecutors, and now faces a suite of charges alleging that he and a group of associates — including his wife Nadine Menendez, who was also charged — corruptly used his powerful political position for personal enrichment.
The thirty-nine-page indictment, made public on Friday, accuses the longtime Democratic lawmaker of engaging in a "corrupt relationship" with three New Jersey businessmen, accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes" in exchange for protecting and enriching the trio, as well as the Egyptian government. Prosecutors allege that Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024, accepted cash, gold bars, a luxury vehicle, and mortgage payments, and in exchange offered to provide sensitive information to Egypt and influence domestic criminal investigations that threatened his associates. Prosecutors claim to have found more than half a million dollars in cash and gold in Menendez's home following a law enforcement search, including large sums of money tucked into pockets of the senator's jacket.
While serving constituents "is part of any legislator’s job," Menendez was "doing those things for certain people — the people who were bribing him and his wife" Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleged during a press conference.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"This is the second set of corruption charges levied against Menendez by the Justice Department in a decade," CNN reported. In 2017 a hung jury was unable to convict the senator in a separate trial for a different series of allegedly criminal exchanges of gifts and favors between Menendez and Dr. Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida ophthalmologist who was later jailed — and subsequently pardoned by then-President Donald Trump — for an unrelated fraud conviction.
Menendez on Friday enthusiastically denied the allegations, claiming they were the work of "forces behind the scenes" while blaming the "excesses" of prosecutors who "misrepresented" his congressional duties.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Deportations ensnare migrant families, U.S. citizens
Feature Trump's deportation crackdown is sweeping up more than just immigrants as ICE targets citizens, judges and nursing mothers
-
Trump shrugs off warnings over trade war costs
Feature Trump's tariffs are spiraling the U.S. toward an economic crisis as shipments slow down—and China doesn't plan to back down
-
A newly created gasoline giant in the Americas could change the industry landscape
The Explainer Sunoco and Parkland are two of the biggest fuel suppliers in the US and Canada, respectively
-
Kamala Harris steps back on center stage
IN THE SPOTLIGHT In her first major speech since Donald Trump took office, the former presidential candidate took solid aim at this administration as speculation grows about her future
-
How might Democratic fundraising survive Trump's ActBlue investigation?
Today's Big Question Critics say the president is weaponizing the Justice Department
-
David Hogg challenges Democrats' 'ineffective' old guard
Talking Points He plans to fund primary challenges to Democratic incumbents
-
With Dick Durbin's retirement, where do Democrats go from here?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The number two Senate Democrat's pending departure is a pivotal moment for a party looking for leadership in the second Trump administration
-
'From his election as pope in 2013, Francis sought to reform'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
-
13 potential 2028 presidential candidates for both major parties
In Depth A rare open primary for both parties has a large number of people considering a run for president
-
Tariffs: Time for Congress to take over?
Feature Senators introduce a bill that would require any new tariffs to be approved by Congress