Indicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) attended a classified briefing on Ukraine, which took place on November 1.
The disgraced senator has been indicted on charges of bribery and being a foreign agent for Egypt.
When he was asked by Manu Raju, a journalist working for CNN, why he was present at the briefing, he denied any impropriety.
“Bottom line is, I’m a United States senator,” Menendez said. “I have my security credentials. And an accusation is just that. It’s not proof of anything.”
The indicted senator pleaded not guilty to all charges against him and has also rejected calls for his resignation.
He has announced that he is running for re-election in 2024.
Despite his optimism, he was forced to resign as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Senate Democrats’ bylaws prohibit members from serving in leadership roles if they have been charged with felonies.
Menendez did not attend a classified briefing on Israel in October after some of his colleagues shared national security concerns about his presence.
The indicted senator could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
