Former US Senator Robert Menendez (D) of New Jersey, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a federal court in New York for corruption and bribery. The sentence was handed down on Wednesday, after Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts.
The trial of the 71-year-old Democrat uncovered a massive corruption scheme spanning several years.
During a search in 2022, the FBI found more than $100,000 worth of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in Menendez’s home. A Mercedes-Benz luxury car was also found in the garage, which prosecutors said was part of the bribes.
Prosecutors in the case allege that Robert (Bob) Menendez abused his position of power as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit both domestic businessmen and foreign governments, particularly Egypt and Qatar.
– Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician, Judge Sidney Stein commented on the ruling.
Menendez’s lawyers argued for a more lenient sentence, citing age and health conditions.
“Unique case”
Prosecutors called for a “just punishment” for an “extraordinary abuse of power and betrayal of public trust”. They stressed that the case is unique in that it is the first time a US senator has been convicted of crimes related to the abuse of a leadership position on a Senate committee.
Two New Jersey-based businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted in connection with the case. Hana received eight years in prison and Daibes seven years for his involvement in the bribery scandal.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, is also on trial in the case, but her trial has been postponed until March due to ongoing cancer treatment.
Resigned in August
Menendez, who resigned from the Senate last August, becomes the first sitting congressman to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent, but he has consistently maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the conviction.
The case has attracted widespread attention and is seen as another serious blow to trust in US political institutions.