NEW YORK — Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was accused Thursday of conspiring to act as an agent of the Egyptian government in a new indictment that places the Democrat, who had a key role in shaping U.S. policy, in deeper legal trouble as he continues to ignore calls to resign.

The superseding indictment, filed in Manhattan federal court, accuses Menendez of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people to register with the U.S. government if they act as “an agent of a foreign principal.”

As a member of Congress, Menendez was prohibited from being an agent of a foreign government.

The new charge comes just weeks after Menendez and his wife were accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen who wanted the senator’s help and influence over foreign affairs.

Authorities who searched Menendez’s home last year said they found more than $100,000 worth of gold bars and over $480,000 in cash — much of it hidden in closets, clothing and a safe.

The new indictment says a conspiracy occurred from January 2018 to June 2022, alleging that Menendez “promised to take and took a series of acts on behalf of Egypt, including on behalf of Egyptian military and intelligence officials.” It said he conspired to do so with his wife, Nadine, and a business associate and fellow defendant, Wael Hana.

According to the indictment, Hana and Nadine Menendez also communicated requests and directives from Egyptian officials to Menendez.

Hours after the charge was revealed, Menendez issued a statement, saying it “flies in the face of my long record of standing up for human rights and democracy in Egypt and in challenging leaders of that country, including President (Fattah) El-Sisi on these issues.”

“I have been, throughout my life, loyal to only one country — the United States of America,” he added.

The superseding indictment brought fresh calls for Menendez to resign.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said senators should vote to expel Menendez because “we cannot have an alleged foreign agent in the United States Senate.” But a vote to expel was unlikely since the case hasn’t gone to trial.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not called on Menendez to resign. The new charge against Menendez comes as more than 30 Senate Democrats, including his home state colleague, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, have called on him to resign.

Menendez has not said whether he will run for reelection next year.

The indictment alleged that in 2019, Menendez, his wife and Hana met with an Egyptian intelligence official in Menendez’s Senate office in Washington. They discussed an American citizen who was seriously injured in a 2015 airstrike by the Egyptian military using a U.S.-made Apache helicopter, the indictment said.

Some members of Congress objected to awarding certain military aid to Egypt over that episode and the perception by certain lawmakers that the Egyptian government was unwilling to fairly compensate the injured American, according to the indictment.

Shortly after the meeting in Washington, the Egyptian official texted Hana that if Menendez helped resolve the matter, “he will sit very comfortably.”

Hana replied, “Orders, consider it done,” the indictment said.

Prosecutors noted that a search of Hana’s cellphone had “revealed thousands of text messages, many via an encrypted application, with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, pertaining to various topics, including Menendez, and including requests and directives for Hana to act upon.”

Menendez and his wife have pleaded not guilty to the charges lodged against them last month. Hana pleaded not guilty last month to charges including conspiracy to commit bribery.