New Jersey's Bob Menendez, wife, now face 16 new corruption charges

March 5 (UPI) -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife faced 16 new allegations of obstruction in charges filed Tuesday in New York.

The new charges in a third superseding indictment against Menendez and this time his wife, Nadine, allege the two had "engaged in corrupt relationship with three New Jersey associates and businessmen," in the charges filed Tuesday.

It is alleged that the senator and his wife obstructed justice in their attempt to cover up supposed bribe payments to Menendez from New Jersey businessmen.

Menendez has pleaded not guilty to recent accusations that he had abused his office by exerting influence to act as an agent for the Egyptian government.

These fresh charges come as former New Jersey insurance broker Jose Uribe -- a co-defendant in the Menendez corruption case -- pleaded guilty Friday in a federal court to seven counts which include conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice, tax evasion and other charges in his dealings with Menendez.

The senator, a Democrat, has so far dismissed calls to resign even from those in his own political party. His refusal comes amid an ongoing election for his Senate seat, which includes candidates U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and the state's first lady, Tammy Murphy.

On Tuesday, prosecutors in Manhattan allege that Bob Menendez -- along with his wife, Nadine -- had purposely mischaracterized their knowledge of a $23,000 payment toward his wife's mortgage, and for imploring their legal counsel to tell the prosecutors that they both did not know the full extent to the mortgage payments until 2022.

"In truth and in fact, and as Menendez well knew, Menendez had learned of both the mortgage company payment and the car payments prior to 2022, and they were not loans, but bribe payments," the prosecutors said in the indictment.

In a statement through his attorneys, Menendez, despite this not being his first go with corruption charges, said he was innocent and called Tuesday's indictment "a flagrant abuse of power," referencing "overzealous prosecutors."