Menendez swats away questions about attendance at classified briefing

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Wednesday shot down questions about the propriety of his attendance at the Senate Foreign Relations classified briefing on Ukraine, despite the ongoing federal case against him in which he’s charged with acting as a foreign agent for Egypt’s government. 

In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Menendez was pressed on whether it’s appropriate for him to be attending the classified briefing, given the looming charges.

“Bottom line is, I’m a United States senator. I have my security credentials. And an accusation is just that: It’s not proof of anything,” Menendez told Raju. 

Menendez has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to charges. 

In keeping with the rules of the Democratic Caucus, Menendez stepped down from his post as Senate Foreign Relations chair when he was accused in a federal indictment of bribery and corruption. The indictment suggested Menendez leveraged his position on the powerful Foreign Relations Committee to help Egypt’s government. 

Last month, when all eyes were still on Menendez after his indictment was unveiled, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the senior New Jersey senator would not attend a classified briefing on Israel.

“He’s not going to attend the briefing tomorrow,” Schumer told reporters two weeks ago. “I’ve had private conversations, I don’t get involved in what happens in them, in this kind of thing.”

Asked Wednesday why he was attending the classified briefing now, but did not last month, Menendez did not answer the question directly, instead taking issue with the suggestion that Schumer blocked his attendance at the previous briefing. 

“First of all, you’re wrong about that. He didn’t say, ‘You can’t go.’ He didn’t not let me,” Menendez told Raju, referring to Schumer. 

Pressed again on why he was attending this Ukraine briefing, Menendez said, “Because getting an update on Ukraine is something that’s worthy as we consider the supplemental.”