"Sen. Bob Menendez Denies Bribery Charges in Emotional Senate Speech"

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, delivered a defiant speech on the Senate floor, denying charges of accepting bribes to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. He accused the Justice Department of conducting a public smear campaign and claimed that the indictments against him were based on "baseless conjecture, not facts." Menendez defended his actions as routine statesmanship and criticized the prosecution's portrayal of his conduct. The case is scheduled to go to trial in May, and Menendez has not ruled out running for re-election despite facing formidable primary challengers.