Former Colleagues Slam Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., as a “Betrayal” of Country and Legacy
A report by The New York Times revealed that former colleagues of disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., spoke out against his betrayal of his country and legacy. Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday, the harshest sentence ever handed down to a U.S. senator.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie described Menendez’s actions as “lowering the standards even further” and said that the former senator will be remembered for breaking the sacred trust between the public and their elected officials. Christie added that Menendez believed he could have both influence and money as a public official, which is not possible.
Former Senator Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., who faced an ethics scandal of his own, agreed that Menendez’s actions were a betrayal of his country and an action contrary to national interests. However, some of Menendez’s colleagues, including lawyer Henry J. Amoroso and MSNBC host Alicia Menendez, wrote letters to the judge pleading for leniency in his sentencing.
Alicia Menendez asked the judge to show mercy on her father, noting that he had already lost his place in the Senate and had his name removed from a local elementary school. However, she also acknowledged the irreparable damage done to her father’s legacy, stating that “a legacy of service 51 years in the making has been reduced to a punchline about gold bars.”