Former US Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday for accepting bribes, including gold bars, in exchange for political favours benefiting Egypt and New Jersey businessmen. US District Judge Sidney Stein handed down the sentence in Manhattan federal court following Menendez’s conviction last July on multiple felony charges, including bribery, fraud, and acting as a foreign agent the first such conviction for a US senator.
While handing down his sentence, Judge Stein found Menendez to be once a powerful politician, where he said, “You were successful, powerful. You stood at the apex of our political system. I don’t know what led you to commit these crimes.” Menendez, 71, had been in the US Senate for more than 18 years, representing New Jersey and chairing the Foreign Relations Committee. He resigned in August after his conviction.
In a tearful statement before sentencing, Menendez pleaded for leniency, saying, “Other than family, I have lost everything I have cared about. Every day I’m awake is a punishment.” Prosecutors argued that Menendez abused his power on an unprecedented scale and requested a 15-year sentence. They charged him with arranging military aid for Egypt, supporting Qatar, and intervening in local prosecutions in return for luxury bribes, which included cash and a Mercedes-Benz.
Two other businessmen convicted alongside Menendez received sentences on Wednesday, too: Fred Daibes was given seven years in prison, and Wael Hana received a little more than eight. Nadine Menendez, his wife, will go on trial in March on corruption charges; her own case was postponed to accommodate her breast cancer treatment. She pleaded not guilty.