Bob Menendez, the US Senate’s chairman of foreign relations has stepped down as he battles bribery charges.
According to BBC report, Menendez and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for aid to Egypt’s Government which the couple have denied.
The embattled Senator had rejected calls from fellow Democrats back in his home State of New Jersey to resign his seat.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said that Menendez had decided to step down as Chairman of the influential committee “until the matter has been resolved”.
Menendez and his spouse, Nadine Arslanian, are accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold, payments towards a home mortgage and a luxury vehicle from three New Jersey businessmen.