Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges Wednesday, must turn over his personal passport as a condition for his release, multiple reports indicated following the senator’s arraignment in Manhattan.
The New Jersey Democrat will be allowed to keep his official passport to travel abroad while conducting business as a member of Congress, according to the reports by CNN, the Associated Press and Reuters.
Menendez has so far refused calls to resign from his Senate seat, though he did step down from his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were made public Friday.
Menendez on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to three charges he took luxurious bribes to help enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit Egypt’s government. His bond was set for $100,000.
Menendez was also ordered not to contact any co-defendants, other than his wife, or any Senate staffers who know about the facts of the case outside his lawyers’ presence, The Associated Press reported.
Fear not! He will certainly be able to continue acting in his roles as both an unregistered aide to a foreign government, and as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Which is totally not a conflict of interests, why do you ask?
He resigned from the committee. (Probably because he’d be removed.)