U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, appeared in federal court in Newark April 2 to plead not guilty to political corruption charges filed against him a day earlier.

Menendez and a Florida eye doctor, Salomon Melgen, were indicted April 1 in a scheme in which the senator allegedly accepted gifts from Melgen in exchange for using the power of his office to benefit Melgen’s financial and personal interests.