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 Menendez, a Democrat, was charged on Wednesday with accepting up
to $1 million worth of lavish gifts from Salomon Melgen, a Florida
ophthalmologist, in exchange for political favors.
Melgen also entered a not guilty plea and was released on $1.5
million bond.
Neither man spoke during the appearance in a Newark, New Jersey,
courtroom. Menendez, in a blue pin-striped suit, rested his arms on
the table in front of him as he listened to the hearing, which
lasted less than an hour.
Menendez stood next to his attorney, Abbe Lowell, who entered
not-guilty pleas for him on 14 corruption counts. Melgen followed,
pleading not guilty through his attorney on all counts.
The federal indictment said Melgen improperly gave Menendez flights
on private jets, use of a Caribbean villa, a stay at a luxury hotel
in Paris and tens of thousands of dollars to a legal defense fund.
 In return, Menendez used the power of his Senate office to try to
influence the outcome of Medicare billing disputes worth tens of
millions of dollars to Melgen, the indictment said.
Following the court appearance, Menendez, now in his second Senate
term, maintained his innocence and lashed out at federal
prosecutors.
"For nearly three years the Justice Department has pursued
allegations based on smears brought by political opponents,"
Menendez said. "Now they have laid out their case, we will finally
have an opportunity to respond, on the record, in court, with the
facts."
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Even if he eventually is cleared, Menendez has seen his political
influence plummet. On Wednesday, Menendez agreed to temporarily step
aside as senior Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland will replace Menendez as top
Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, a Senate aide said on
Thursday.
But signaling Menendez will try to remain a force in Washington, his
Senate office issued a statement on Thursday urging "rigorous"
congressional review of a nuclear framework deal just struck between
Iran and world powers.
Speaking to reporters, Lowell decried leaks to the news media during
the investigation and asked the Justice Department to probe the
"misconduct."
The next court date was set for April 22, with a tentative trial
date for July 13.
(Editing by Emily Stephenson, Will Dunham and Diane Craft)
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