Former Sen. Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Bribery and Corruption Scheme
A U.S. District Judge sentenced former Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a bribery and corruption scheme that involved accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez, who was found guilty in July of extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent, will be beginning his sentence immediately.
The 71-year-old former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pleaded not guilty and has vowed to appeal his conviction. His attorneys had argued that he was a good public servant and that he had been punished enough by losing his Senate seat and his reputation.
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 15 years, which Menendez’s attorneys called “vindictive and cruel” and “a life and death sentence.” The judge, however, found the evidence against Menendez overwhelming and said that he had failed the voters of New Jersey.
Menendez’s co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced to several years in prison, with Hana receiving 84 months and Daibes receiving 97 months.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, was not charged in the scheme, but she had been accused of being aware of her husband’s actions and had received a Mercedes-Benz and over $480,000 in cash as part of the scheme. She is set to be tried later this year.
The case was the second corruption trial Menendez had faced in his 18-year career in the Senate, with the first case ending in a hung jury in 2017. Menendez had also denied wrongdoing in that case and was investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee, which issued a public admonishment to him in 2018.
