Menendez ordered to turn over personal passport at arraignment
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges Wednesday, must turn over his personal passport as a condition for his release, multiple reports indicated following the senator’s arraignment in Manhattan.
The New Jersey Democrat will be allowed to keep his official passport to travel abroad while conducting business as a member of Congress, according to the reports by CNN, the Associated Press and Reuters.
Menendez has so far refused calls to resign from his Senate seat, though he did step down from his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were made public Friday.
Menendez on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to three charges he took luxurious bribes to help enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit Egypt’s government. His bond was set for $100,000.
Menendez was also ordered not to contact any co-defendants, other than his wife, or any Senate staffers who know about the facts of the case outside his lawyers’ presence, The Associated Press reported.
Oh phew! That’s a relief. For a second there I was worried this whole “being indicted for accepting bribes from foreign interests” might interfere with Bobby boy’s ability to continue traveling freely to accept bribes from foreign interests.
Fear not! He will certainly be able to continue acting in his roles as both an unregistered aide to a foreign government, and as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Which is totally not a conflict of interests, why do you ask?
He resigned from the committee. (Probably because he'd be removed.)
Weird how they did it for him but not one of Trump's four indictments.
I don't think Trump has a valid passport. They've all expired.
I have a feeling he’s going to get some slap on the wrist as long as he leaves office, and then he will make lots of more money lobbying. 
I get the feeling he'll remain in office and the party will support him in the primary because
centristincumbent.Yeah because he's getting so much party support right now.
The party has a policy of supporting incumbents when they get primaried, regardless of how shitty their positions or behavior are.
If Menendez resigned, he'd be replaced by a Democrat and most of his colleagues no longer want him in office.
And if he stays and gets primaried, he's the incumbent.
The same "he's an incumbent" policy the party used to prop up the anti-choice Henry Cuellar applies here. Unless that policy is just an excuse to shut out progressives.
A Democrat sinking down to Republican levels of politics. What a shame.
That's why Republicans are backing him up right now.
Republicans practice class solidarity above partisan politics
Nah, when it comes to financial corruption specifically, the two parties are actually pretty similar. They just have (mostly) different owner donors that they are completely beholden to 🤷
They mostly get away with it though, since they're following the only anti-corruption rule for US politicians: don't make it too obvious.
Menendez broke that one so thoroughly that it's in pieces next to his gold bars and bribe envelopes.
I was going to impersonate Trump as a Democrat in this situation, backing up his crony, but it's just too silly
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges Wednesday, must turn over his personal passport as a condition for his release, multiple reports indicated following the senator’s arraignment in Manhattan.
The New Jersey Democrat will be allowed to keep his official passport to travel abroad while conducting business as a member of Congress, according to the reports by CNN, the Associated Press and Reuters.
Menendez on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to three charges he took luxurious bribes to help enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit Egypt’s government.
Menendez was also ordered not to contact any co-defendants, other than his wife, or any Senate staffers who know about the facts of the case outside his lawyers’ presence, The Associated Press reported.
The New Jersey Democrat’s wife, Nadine, also faces three charges linked to the couple’s “corrupt relationship” with the businessmen, to which she entered a not guilty plea.
It claims Menendez used his “power and influence” to benefit Egypt and the businessmen in exchange for cash, gold bars, a luxury vehicle and more.
The original article contains 323 words, the summary contains 177 words. Saved 45%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
I'm shocked this guy is even still in office, he was in the news years ago for taking bribes from a friend wasn't he?