New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez is facing a fresh legal onslaught as he was indicted on Tuesday with a dozen new criminal charges related to an extensive bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

The latest developments come in the wake of businessman Jose Uribe, previously indicted alongside Menendez, agreeing to plead guilty and cooperate with the investigation, according to CNN.

The superseding indictment includes charges such as conspiracy, obstruction of justice, acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion, and honest services wire fraud.

Menendez, who initially faced four conspiracy charges, now has the underlying substantive crimes added to the list.

Senator Menendez vehemently denies any wrongdoing, accusing prosecutors of unfairly targeting him.

Bob Menendez Faces Earlier Charges and Obstruction of Justice Allegations

Menendez had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of accepting substantial sums from businessmen to hinder law enforcement investigations and acting as an illegal agent of the Egyptian government.

A trial for these charges is set for May 6 in Manhattan federal court.

In the new indictment, federal prosecutors claim that Menendez's former lawyers informed them in meetings last year that the senator was unaware until 2022 of mortgage or car payments made for his wife, Reuters reports.

Prosecutors assert that Menendez, in fact, knew about these payments before 2022 and considered them bribes rather than loans.

Menendez disputes the obstruction allegations, stating that prosecutors are attempting to coerce him into submission.

"I am innocent and will prove it no matter how many charges they continue to pile on," Menendez stated.

Nadine Menendez, the senator's wife, who also faces charges, has not responded to requests for comment.

Last week, businessman Jose Uribe, accused of making a car payment for Menendez's wife, pleaded guilty to fraud and bribery charges.

Prosecutors revealed findings of gold bars and cash-filled envelopes in Menendez's apartment during the initial charges in September.

Businessman Wael Hana, alleged to have facilitated meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials, has pleaded not guilty.

In January, prosecutors filed a broader indictment, accusing Menendez of assisting a New Jersey businessman in seeking investment from a Qatari company with ties to the Middle Eastern country's government.

Despite calls for resignation, Menendez has resisted stepping down, temporarily relinquishing his role as the chair of the Senate foreign relations committee after the initial charges in September.

Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bribing Senator Bob Menendez

In a significant development, New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe pleaded guilty on Friday to attempting to bribe Senator Menendez, AP News noted.

Uribe admitted to providing Menendez's wife with a car to influence the senator, agreeing to a deal with prosecutors to testify in the corruption case against the powerful Democrat.

Uribe, from Clifton, New Jersey, faced seven charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion.

In court, Uribe detailed his crimes, acknowledging a conspiracy with Nadine Menendez to gift her a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for the senator using his power to halt investigations related to Uribe's associates.

The plea agreement stipulates that Uribe could face up to 95 years in prison, but cooperation and testimony against other defendants could lead to leniency.

He has also agreed to forfeit $246,000, representing proceeds traceable to his crimes.

Uribe was one of three businessmen charged in the corruption case against Bob Menendez and his wife, involving alleged bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for Menendez's influence over foreign affairs.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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