U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey has for the second time indicted on bribery charge, Federal prosecutors announced on Friday.
The 69 year-old senator, a democrat, was indicted along with his 56 year-old wife, Nadine Arslanian, who he married in October 2020.
The new charge comes nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury.
The latest indictment is unrelated to the earlier charges that alleged Menendez accepted lavish gifts to pressure government officials on behalf of a Florida doctor.
The new charges follow years-long investigation that examined, among other things, the dealings of a New Jersey businessman — a friend of Menendez’s wife — who secured sole authorisation from the Egyptian government to certify that meat imported into that country meets Islamic dietary requirements.
Investigators also asked questions about the Menendez family’s interactions with a New Jersey developer.
Menendez faces re-election next year in a bid to extend his three-decade career in Washington, and as Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate.
The Senate Historical Office says Menendez appears to be the first sitting senator in U.S. history to have been indicted on two unrelated criminal allegations.
The first time Menendez was indicted, he was accused of using his political influence to help a Florida eye doctor who had lavished him with gifts and campaign contributions.
