Ex-US Senator Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison in bribery case

Former US Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Wednesday after being convicted of conducting a multi-year bribery and foreign influence conspiracy. The sentence is the toughest ever imposed on a sitting or former United States senator. Menendez, who previously chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, burst into tears as he pleaded for mercy in a New York courtroom. “I have lost everything,” he told US District Judge Sidney Stein, Fox News reports. “Apart from family, I’ve lost all I care about. Every day I’m awake is punishment. I am not a flawless dude. “In a half-century of public service, I have done far more good than bad,” the former Senator said.

Despite his passionate plea, Stein stood steadfast, saying, “Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician,” as reported by The New York Post. Menendez was convicted in July 2024 on 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. The prosecution centered on charges that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, took bribes in the form of gold bars, cash, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz in exchange for political favors for Egypt and Qatar. Federal officials raided the Menendez home in June 2022, uncovering nearly $500,000 in cash stashed in closets, envelopes, and even a pair of Timberland boots, as well as 13 gold bars worth $150,000. “It’s a Cuban thing,” Menendez’s sister testified, attempting to explain why the senator kept such significant sums of money at home, according to The New York Post.

Menendez’s conviction makes him the first US senator to be found guilty of functioning as an unlawful foreign agent while in office. According to prosecutors, he used his position to advocate for Egyptian military aid, promote favorable policies for foreign-linked firms, and even tried to meddle in a federal fraud prosecution. His co-defendants, businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced: Hana for eight years and Daibes for seven. Another co-defendant, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified against Menendez, explaining how he gave Nadine Menendez a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for political favors.

Outside the courthouse, Menendez slammed the legal system, calling his conviction a “witch hunt.” He went on to make a direct plea to former President Donald Trump, saying, “President Trump was correct.” This process is political and corrupted at its core. “I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the system’s integrity,” Fox News reported. Menendez, who voted twice to impeach Trump, has reportedly been lobbying for a pardon from the former president, though Trump has not commented on the case.

Judge Stein ordered Menendez to report to federal prison by June 6. His wife, Nadine, is slated to go on trial in March after her case was delayed owing to a breast cancer diagnosis. According to Fox News, prosecutors initially wanted a 15-year sentence for Menendez, claiming that he “put his high office up for sale” and engaged in a corruption scheme of “stunning brazenness.” Despite the guilty conviction, Menendez has promised to appeal and maintain his innocence. His fall from grace appears to be complete—once a strong senator, he is now well known by his horrible nickname, “Gold Bar Bob.”