Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Bob Menendez Sentenced To 11 Years For Bribery Charges

Sen. Bob Menendez takes a tour of a Federal Medical Station (FMS) at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, N.J., April 2, 2020. The FMS will hold approximately 250 hospital beds for non COVID-19 patients. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Michael Schwenk)

New York Federal Judge Sidney Stein sentenced Former Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison inside a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday in relation to his federal corruption and bribery convictions.

Menendez was convicted in July on all 16 counts over his bribery and corruption scheme with the Egyptian government and three New Jersey businessmen. The Justice Department indicted Menendez and his wife, Nadine, in Sept. 2023 after authorities found over $480,000 in cash hidden throughout his home, over $100,000 in gold bars and a luxury vehicle given to his spouse by the businessmen.

BREAKING: Former Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), 71, sentenced to 11 years in federal prison over bribery and corruption charges – NBC

The case surrounded Menendez selling his power in Washington for money, gold and a luxury car, per NBC. pic.twitter.com/UmP7JmO9hh

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2025

The indictment stated that Menendez accepted the cash, gold bars and the luxury car as bribes in exchange for interfering in investigations on behalf of the businessmen and influencing U.S. foreign policy towards Egypt.

Menendez, who was charged under former President Joe Biden’s administration, said outside of the courtroom that President Donald Trump correctly pointed out that this type of case is “political” and “corrupted to the core.” He called on Trump to clean up “the cesspool” in the legal system and restore “integrity to the system.”

Some stunning remarks from Menendez outside court: “President Trump was right. This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.” pic.twitter.com/woFgHgFGqM

— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) January 29, 2025

Menendez once claimed that Trump could be “compromised” over the now-debunked allegations that his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

Following demands from his fellow Democrats, Menendez effectively resigned from his seat in August due to his conviction. The then-New Jersey senator served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time he had first faced the charges, prompting him to “temporarily” step down from the top position in September 2023.

In the courtroom Wednesday, Menendez tearfully gave a 12-minute speech stating that while he had made mistakes, he had “done far more good than bad” throughout his life, The Wall Street Journal reported. Prosecutors asked the judge to impose a 15-year sentence, arguing that his crimes were a blatant attempt to corrupt U.S. power, while his defense team argued that their client should receive no more than 8 years.

“For all the good he has done in his life, ultimately, he believed that the power he wielded belonged to him,” prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said.

Menendez denied any wrongdoing regarding the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges during a Sept. 27, 2023, arraignment. Nadine Menendez, who also pleaded not guilty, had her trial indefinitely postponed and is set to face a separate jury due to her treatment for cancer.

The former embattled senator faced a separate indictment in 2015 alleging that he accepted large sums of money from a Democratic donor for political favors. The trial ended in a mistrial as a result of the jury being unable to reach a verdict.