A judge sentenced ex-New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez Wednesday to 11 years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme that saw him accepting gold bars and cash in exchange for his influence.
Over the course of a nine-week trial in 2024, prosecutors argued that Menendez abused his power as a senator in exchange for bribes from three New Jersey businessmen between 2018 and 2022. He was also accused of acting as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt.
During an investigation in 2022, investigators said they reviewed Menendez's email accounts and searched his home, where they found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars. Menendez's defense team argued that the gold was inherited by his wife Nadine and that Menendez had a habit of storing cash at home because it's something his family did after they immigrated in 1951 to the U.S. from Cuba.
Menendez was found guilty on all counts in July of 2024. He was convicted on 16 charges, including bribery, fraud, extortion and obstruction of justice. In August of the same year, he resigned from Congress, where he served as a senator from New Jersey.
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Speaking before his sentencing on Wednesday, Menendez asked the judge for leniency.
“You really don’t know the man you are about to sentence,” Menendez said. “I’ve done far more good than bad. I ask you, your honor, to judge me in that context.”
Prosecutors had asked for a 15-year sentence. Attorneys for Menendez had asked the judge for a sentence of no more than eight years.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
