 speaks to members of the news media outside the Senate chamber during a Senate vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA, 04 December 2023.jpg)
In a new federal indictment, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is accused of accepting bribes from Qatar, the second foreign country he allegedly provided illegal aid to.
The latest charges accuse him of a corruption scheme in the period 2021-23.
A lawyer for the New Jersey senator called the Justice Department's allegations "baseless" and "outlandish speculation."
Menendez, a Democrat, pleaded not guilty in October to charges that he acted as an illegal agent for Egypt.
He has faced increasing calls to resign, including from within his own party, but has so far refused to step down.
The indictment, filed Dec. 2, alleges Menendez accepted gifts, including tickets to auto races, in exchange for comments praising the Qatari government.
The document contains no new charges but includes new details about his and his wife Nadine Menendez's alleged crimes.
Ms. Menendez, who is also charged in the same alleged bribery and extortion scheme, has also pleaded not guilty.
Three New Jersey businessmen named in the suit also denied the allegations.
The latest indictment extends the alleged conspiracy by a year and includes the time he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a post he left after the original charges were filed in September.
The 70-year-old Menendez denies having committed any offense./BGNES
