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By Andrew Stanton
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Former Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes that included cash and gold.
"Judge Stein: Almost half a million dollars in your house, cash stuffed in shoes, gold bars... Hubris, you'll have to figure it out yourself. General deterrence is important. The sentence I intend to impose is 11 years," Inner City Press, which covered the sentencing from the courtroom, wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter).
Why It Matters
Menendez's case represents one of the most significant corruption cases in recent U.S. history. Prosecutors accused Menendez, 71, of accepting bribes to benefit foreign nations like Egypt and Qatar during his tenure as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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He was convicted of charges that included bribery, conspiracy, fraud and making false statements in July 2024. He previously faced corruption charges in a 2015 indictment, but that case ended in a mistrial. Menendez resigned from the Senate after his conviction last year.
What To Know
Judge Sidney Stein handed down the conviction, which was shorter than the 15-year sentence requested by prosecutors, according to the Associated Press. They argued that Menendez used his powerful position on the Foreign Affairs Committee to accept the bribes that benefited the foreign governments.
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The judge told him he once "stood at the apex of our political system" during Wednesday's sentencing hearing Wednesday, the AP said.
"Somewhere along the way, and I don't know when it was, you lost your way and working for the public good became working for your good," Stein said.
"You really don't know the man you are about to sentence," a tearful Menendez responded, according to the AP. He added that he is "far from a perfect man" who has "made more than my share of mistakes" but insisted that he has "done far more good than bad."
His attorneys argued he should have been sentenced to less than two years in prison because of his record of public service.
Menendez was first charged in 2023 after a 2022 raid at his New Jersey home in which FBI agents found $480,000 in cash hidden in boots, as well as $150,000 worth of gold bars. He had denied any wrongdoing, arguing his actions were appropriate for his role as head of the Foreign Relations Committee.
He resigned from the Senate in August 2024, and voters chose Democrat Andy Kim, then a member of the House of Representatives, to replace him in November.
What People Are Saying
Bob Menendez said in a statement after his sentencing: "President Trump is right. This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system."
Prosecutors wrote in a court filing: "The defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government."
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey said on X: "Senator Menendez accomplished many things on behalf of our state, but sadly he will be remembered for putting his own interests and financial gain ahead of the public interest. It is critical that we hold our elected leaders to the highest professional and ethical standards."
What Happens Next
The former senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, is set to face trial in March on similar charges. Meanwhile, Menendez has vowed to appeal the conviction.
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