Sen. Robert Menendez indicted as 'foreign agent' for Egypt in alleged bribery scheme

Sen. Robert Menendez was charged Thursday with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent, in a fresh indictment that updated bribery allegations unveiled in federal court in September.

Menendez and two co-defendants, wife Nadine Menendez and Wael Hana, were charged with conspiracy to represent the government of Egypt and Egyptian officials. The indictment cites the three with meeting at Manhattan restaurants with Egyptian officials on June 30, 2018, and Sept. 21, 2019, as part of the alleged conspiracy.

The Federal Agents Registration Act requires people who represent foreign governments trying to influence U.S. policy to register with the Justice Department. Violations carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Larry Lustberg, a lawyer for Hana, called the allegation false.

“The new allegation that Wael Hana was part of a plot concocted over dinner to enlist Senator Menendez as an agent of the Egyptian Government is as absurd as it is false," Lustberg said in a statement. "As with the other charges in this indictment, Mr. Hana will vigorously defend against this baseless allegation.”

Menendez and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges and he remains in the Senate, although he surrendered his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee until the case is resolved. The trial is scheduled May 6.

Menendez faces corruption charges, brought by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen in exchange for helping them enrich themselves and trying to get them out of trouble, according to an indictment unsealed on Sept. 22 New York.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. Menendez faces new charge as 'foreign agent' in bribery case