Bob Menendez: US Senator holds back tears and denies charges on Senate floor

US Senator Bob Menendez held back tears as he gave a fiery speech on the Senate floor about his bribery charges.

The New Jersey Democrat denied the charges and rejected calls to resign, saying it would deny him due process.

Three federal indictments, which also implicate Egypt and Qatar's governments, allege Mr Menendez used his political office to enrich himself.

He said he faced "persecution not prosecution" and refused to "step aside" by leaving his office.

Mr Menendez initially faced bribery charges in September, after he and his wife were accused of accepting gold bars, gifts, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to aid three New Jersey businessmen.

A second indictment in October alleged that the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair had conspired to work as a foreign agent for Egypt, acting on requests given by military and intelligence officials from the country.

The most recent indictment, unsealed on 2 January, claimed that the politician received cash, tickets to a Formula One race and gold bars for helping a New Jersey real estate developer negotiate a multimillion-dollar deal. It also accused him of connecting the businessman to the Qatari royal family who run an investment firm.

Mr Menendez has denied all the charges and told his Senate colleagues on Tuesday that he has "never violated the public trust". He alleged prosecutors had released the charges in phases as a way to "poison the jury pool" by keeping the "sensationalism in the press".

The businessmen connected to the alleged scheme have also denied wrongdoing.

To the claims that Mr Menendez made public comments in favour of Qatar in order to help one of the businessmen - Fred Daibes - secure an investment, Mr Menendez said it was part of the "carrot and stick of diplomacy".

"I have criticized Qatar as I have any other country when I felt they were falling short on their international obligations and applauded them when they have led in ways that the United States and the world would commend," he said.

Mr Menendez also listed multiple instances in which he said he directly confronted Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his country's "unjust detention of American and Egyptian citizens, its human rights abuses" and "its deepening relationship with Russia".

He considered the encounters as evidence that he was not acting as a foreign agent to Egypt.

"You can't challenge the leader of an authoritarian state in public... and take actions adverse to their interests, and at the same time serve as an agent of that same foreign government," he said.

Despite Mr Menendez's claims of innocence, pressure for him to resign has grown, including from within his own party.

He said "there is no evidence of the giving or receiving of cash and gold bars", and he pleaded for his colleagues to wait for the truth to come out during trial.

At one point, the New Jersey Democrat grew emotional as he reflected on what the charges might mean for his political legacy.

"After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee," he said.

The senator's trial is scheduled to start in May in Manhattan.