He is accused of betraying the public’s trust, but that apparently doesn’t mean Sen. Bob Menendez doesn’t get special treatment.

The Democrat was arraigned behind closed doors in federal court in Newark, NJ, on Tuesday, while 15 journalists waited outside thinking they were about to be let in for the hearing.

Arraignment proceedings are almost always open to the public, with the main exception being when the identity of a government informant must be kept secret.

Judge William Walls did not explain why he allowed the proceeding to take place out of the public eye.

Menendez was charged in 2015 with accepting bribes worth nearly a million dollars from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen in exchange for lobbying for Melgen’s business interests.

He is accused of helping Melgen’s three model girlfriends obtain US visas, pressuring the State Department to resolve a dispute over a Melgen-associated shipping contract in the Dominican Republic and intervening in 2012 on Melgen’s behalf in his $8.9 million fight over Medicare billing, according to court papers.

Menendez, 63, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After the arraignment, defense lawyers and prosecutors spent a couple hours holed up behind closed doors in the fourth-floor courtroom before jury selection began.

Jurors will have to decide if Menendez committed “official acts” in exchange for bribes after a Supreme Court ruling last year narrowed the definition of that phrase in public corruption cases.

Opening arguments are set for Sept. 6.

Melgen, 62, was convicted in April of stealing as much as $105 million from Medicare between 2008 and 2013 by giving patients tests they didn’t need.

The two men have both argued in previous court papers that the gifts and donations were innocent. Menendez, who remains in office, has also claimed his actions were legitimate legislative duties.

He told reporters Tuesday that he is “looking forward to picking a good jury” and expects to be exonerated.