Menendez Delivers First Public Statement Since Indictment

Good morning. Thank you to all of you who are here today, especially the New Jerseyans who have joined me as I address the events of the last few days. On Friday, the Southern District of New York brought charges against me. I understand how deeply concerning this can be. However, the allegations leveled against me are just that, allegations. For anyone who has known me throughout my 50 years of public service, they know I have always fought for what is right. My advocacy has always been grounded in what I learned from growing up as a son of Cuban refugees, especially my mom, my hero, Evangelina Menendez. Everything I've accomplished, I've worked for, despite the naysayers and everyone who has underestimated me. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be the New Jersey's senior senator. For now, I want to address four things. First, a cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All people. I ask for nothing more and deserve nothing less. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system. We cannot set aside the presumption of innocence for political expediency when the harm is irrevocable. To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution to be as salacious as possible. Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that. Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them. All I humbly ask for in this moment, in my colleagues in Congress, the elected leaders and the advocates of New Jersey that I have worked with for years, as well as each person who calls New Jersey home, is to pause and allow for all the facts to be presented. Second, my long record on Egypt. One fact is indisputable. Throughout my time in Congress, I have remained steadfast on the side of civil society and human rights defenders in Egypt and everywhere else in the world. If you look at my actions related to Egypt during the period described in this indictment and throughout my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable for its unjust detention of American citizens and others, its human rights abuses, its deepening relationship with Russia, and efforts that have eroded the independence of the nation's judiciary among a myriad of concerns. In 2017, I led a bipartisan letter to then-President Trump expressing grave concern with the worsening situation for human rights and civil society in Egypt. That same year, I sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee supporting U.S. assistance to Egypt as long as Egypt adhered to the Camp David Accords and urged the Appropriations Committee to include the requirements for assistance reform strategies outlined in the Egypt Assistance Reform Act of 2013. In 2018, I urged Secretary Tillerson to focus more on human rights issues in Egypt and raise concerns that the electoral environment ahead of Egypt's elections at the time was not free, fair, and credible. In 2019, I met with President el-Sisi at the Munich Security Conference and emphasized the level of repression inside of Egypt, risking eroding our security, cooperation, and raising concerns about Egypt's intent to purchase a Russian missile system. In 2020, I spoke on the Senate floor for International Women's Day and cited the cases of Maranor el-Masri, a human rights lawyer, and Ezra Abel Fattah, a human rights activist and reporter who were unjustly detained in Egypt for fighting for human rights, democracy, and a free press. I have placed holds on foreign military sales funding to Egypt, and in the presence of other United States Senators, I have challenged President el-Sisi directly on human rights abuses, arbitrary detention, and press freedoms. And the list goes on. Throughout my 30 years in the House of Representatives and the Senate, I have always worked to hold accountable those countries, including Egypt, for human rights abuses, the repression of its citizenry, civil society, and more. Those who now are attempting to malign my actions as it relates to Egypt simply don't know the facts. Third, for 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. Now, this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to addressing other issues at trial. Four, I want to speak directly to the people of New Jersey. As I started these remarks, you're the reason why I have dedicated the entirety of my adult life to improving the lives of hardworking New Jerseyans and all Americans. Some of the people calling for my resignation for political reasons say I have lost the trust of the people of New Jersey. That couldn't be more wrong. Today, I'm surrounded by everyday people and constituents who know me. They are here because I fought for important health care policies like the Affordable Care Act, access to reproductive health care, funding for community health centers, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. They are here because I have fought for working people, those who work five to nine, to support those working from nine to five. I've always advocated for the right of workers to organize for better wages and working conditions and have been a staunch supporter of delivering critical services like affordable child care to better support working families. They are here because when New Jersey was in the darkest days following Superstorm Sandy, I never relented in making sure that New Jerseyans were made whole and had the resources to rebuild stronger and more resilient than before. They are here because during the worst pandemic in a century, I went to bat for small business owners throughout the state to ensure they could keep their doors open and their employees on the payroll. They are here because when state and local governments were faced with excruciating decision of having to lay off officers and firefighters during the pandemic, I delivered billions in federal funding and investments to keep our state cities and towns and hospitals afloat. They are here because throughout my career, and some may not have liked the positions I've taken, I have stood against authoritarian regimes in Iran and its desire to achieve nuclear weapons, or Cuba and its dictatorship, or authoritarianism in Turkey, Venezuela, Russia, and wherever in the world where human rights and democracy have been threatened. And they are here because I have made it my life's work about protecting refugees and immigrants who come to our shores seeking a better future for their children, just as my family did. They are here because during the past 30 years, I have fought tooth and nail so New Jersey would receive critical infrastructure funding and fought against the forces that tried to dismantle the Gateway Project. They are here because since my earliest days in Congress, I have repeatedly stood up to the gun lobby to stop illegal firearms from claiming too many lives and destroying communities. They are here because when tragedy struck one of New Jersey's federal judges, I made a promise that I would not stop until I passed a law to better protect the dedicated public servants in the judiciary. And last year I delivered passing legislation signed into law by the President that will better protect judges and their families. And they are here because I never gave up on delivering justice for 9-11 families, especially the widows and children of those killed who were previously and unfairly excluded from the U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism. And in December, working with others, I delivered billions of dollars in long overdue federal relief to that community and other U.S. victims of terror. They are here because when other members of Congress wanted to turn their backs on our veterans and not pass the PACT Act to provide health care for our veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits, I was there. And they are here because I successfully passed legislation to better serve World War II vets as well as those suffering from Gulf War illnesses. For now, I remain focused on continuing to do the important work I do every day on behalf of the 9 million people who call New Jersey home, including doing everything we can this week to avoid a government shutdown, deliver critical funding for states affected by catastrophic natural disasters, and ensure the people of Ukraine have everything they need to defeat Putin. And I'll return to Washington this week to do exactly that. Now let me just say a few words in Spanish. Thank you very much. Thank you.