High-ranking U.S. Democratic Senator pleads not guilty to corruption charges

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, one of the highest-ranking Hispanic members of Congress, pleaded not guilty on corruption charges in a federal court hearing in Newark, New Jersey Thursday and was released without bail.

The Democratic senator of New Jersey, 61, was indicted along with Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen on counts of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud, the Justice Department said in a Wednesday statement.

The indictment alleges Menendez used the power of his Senate seat to benefit Melgen, who prosecutors say provided the senator with luxury vacations, airline travels and tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to a legal defense fund.

Menendez was released on his own recognizance but was forced to surrender his personal passport. Melgen also entered a not guilty plea and was released on 1.5 million U.S. dollar bond.

In a brief statement at the Newark courthouse after his arraignment, Menendez blasted the probe by the Justice Department. "These allegations are false and I am confident they will be proven false," he said. "I look forward to doing so in court."

The Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have probed a variety of allegations about Menendez's relationship with Melgen, whom the lawmaker calls a friend and political donor.

His failure to reimburse Melgen for flights between New Jersey and the Dominican Republic on the latter's private jet was the first serious signal of Menendez's legal troubles in early 2013.

In 2010, Menendez flew to the Dominican Republic as a guest of Melgen's. He was suspected to have helped Melgen secure a deal to sell port screening equipment to the Caribbean country.

Menendez also defended Melgen against federal Medicare administrators who accused Melgen of overbilling the government- run healthcare program, according to media reports. Melgen has been a major Democratic donor.

Citing allegations in the indictment, the Justice Department said in the Wednesday statement, between January 2006 and January 2013, "Menendez accepted close to $1 million worth of lavish gifts and campaign contributions from Melgen in exchange for using the power of his Senate office to influence the outcome of ongoing contractual and Medicare billing disputes worth tens of millions of dollars to Melgen and to support the visa applications of several of Melgen's girlfriends."

Menendez, who is serving his second term as senator, was first appointed to the Senate in 2006 after serving as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives since 1993. He had been the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from January 2013 to last November when the Democrats lost control of the Senate in the mid- term elections.

A Senate aide said Thursday that liberal Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland will temporarily replace Menendez as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Menendez is believed to be the least favorite Democrat to the White House, mainly because he is one of the most vocal opponents of President Barack Obama's ongoing efforts to restore diplomatic ties with Cuba and negotiate a deal on the controversial Iranian nuclear program. Endite