Ex-NJ Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison
NEW YORK - Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted last year of 16 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges.
The sentence caps a remarkable downfall for Menendez, who was convicted last July of enriching himself through a variety of corrupt acts.
Prosecutors said that in exchange for the gold, thousands of dollars in cash and a luxury car, the Democrat tried to protect associates from criminal investigations, met with Egyptian intelligence officials and took steps to help that country access to millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.
Earlier Wednesday, Judge Sidney H. Stein also sentenced two New Jersey businessmen convicted of paying bribes.
Menendez, 71, has promised to appeal.
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Prosecutors had said that Menendez should have been imprisoned for 15 years, calling it an "extraordinary attempt, at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch, to corrupt the nation’s core sovereign powers over foreign relations."
Lawyers for the former Senator are urging the judge to be lenient, saying the ordeal has made him a "national punchline" despite a lifetime of good deeds that have saved lives.
What was Bob Menedez accused of?
The backstory:
Menendez was convicted in July on corruption charges after an FBI raid in 2022 uncovered $150,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in cash at his home. Prosecutors say the money came from bribes by three New Jersey businessmen seeking his influence to protect their interests and profit.
When he was charged in fall 2023, Menendez was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was forced out of that position in 2023 and gave up his Senate seat in August.
In arguments last week, defense lawyers called for Judge Sidney H. Stein to be lenient with Menendez, saying his conviction had "rendered him a national punchline and stripped him of every conceivable personal, professional, and financial benefit."
"Bob is deserving of mercy because of the penalties already imposed, his age, and the lack of a compelling need to impose a custodial sentence," the lawyers said.
Who was involved?
Dig deeper:
- Nadine Menendez is the wife of the former senator.
- Fred Daibes is a prominent New Jersey real estate developer.
- Wael Hana obtained a monopoly to certify that meat exported to Egypt from the United States conformed to Islamic dietary requirements.
- Jose Uribe is a businessman who testified against Menendez, accusing him of accepting bribes to ensure his company was not affected by New Jersey criminal probes of a trucking company belonging to his friend.
Two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were convicted alongside Menendez, while a third pleaded guilty and testified at the trial in July.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of at least 10 years for Hana and nine years for Daibes, saying the crimes took place between 2018 and 2022.
"The defendants’ crimes amount to an extraordinary attempt, at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch, to corrupt the nation’s core sovereign powers over foreign relations and law enforcement," prosecutors wrote.
Menendez bribery case: Timeline
Here's
- Early 2018: Bob and Nadine Menendez begin dating.
- 2018: Prosecutors allege that this is when Menendez began accepting bribes from the three businessmen
- October 2020: Bob and Nadine Menendez marry and move into her Englewood Cliffs home.
- 2022: Gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were found in a raid of Menendez's Englewood Cliffs residence.
- Sept. 2023: Menendez, his wife, and the three businessmen face bribery charges
- May 15: Jurors began hearing opening statements.
- July 8: Closing arguments began.
- July 16: Menendez was convicted on corruption charges.