Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after being convicted in a corruption trial.
Menendez, who was in Congress for 31 years, was found guilty in July 2024 of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes from Egypt and Qatar that included a car, cash, and golden bars.
Prosecutors requested 15 years behind bars.
“Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote in a Jan. 9 court filing.
“Menendez’s willingness to engage in the charged scheme immediately after receiving a formal admonition for such similar conduct speaks volumes about his character.”
Menendez’s legal team asked for leniency.
“Unsurprisingly, Sen. Menendez’s conviction has rendered him a national punchline and stripped him of every conceivable personal, professional, and financial benefit,” they wrote. “Bob is now 71, with his long-built reputation in tatters. He has suffered financial and professional ruin.”
“His once broad circle of friends and political allies have largely disappeared,” they added. “While all defendants suffer inevitable personal and professional consequences if convicted of serious federal crimes, Sen. Menendez in many important respects has already been punished relatively more harshly due to his position.”
Three other New Jersey businessmen—Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, and Jose Uribe—were also indicted. Hana and Daibes were convicted while Uribe pleaded guilty. Daibes was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Hana was sentenced to eight years.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was also indicted, and she is scheduled to be put on trial on March 18.
“The defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government,” prosecutors wrote.
Menendez resigned from the Senate in August 2024 and was succeeded by former Sen. George Helmy (D-N.J.). Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) has occupied the seat since December 2024.
“While I fully intend to appeal the jury’s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,” Menendez wrote to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in a July 23 letter.
