US Senator Bob Menendez charged with corruption

A top US senator, Democrat Bob Menendez, has been charged with 14 counts of corruption. The New Jersey politician is accused of using his influence to illegally benefit a Florida eye doctor, who he admits is a long-time friend. At a press conference, he said he was "outraged" by the charges and dismissed the allegations as false. The 14 charges include conspiracy and making false statements, as well as eight counts of bribery. Mr Menendez has resigned as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee but vowed he "would not be silenced" as he fights the allegations. "I am outraged that prosecutors at the Justice Department were tricked into starting this investigation three years ago with false allegations by those who have a political motive to silence me," Menendez told a cheering crowd of supporters in Newark. New Jersey's largest newspaper, the Star and Ledger, has called on him to resign his Senate seat.