Former U.S Senator, Robert Menendez representing New Jersey has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery schemes that involved accepting gold bars in return for favours on behalf of Egypt.
In tearful evidence, Menendez told a federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday that the corruption charges had cost him everything he held dear, with the exception of his wife’s support.
Menendez was once a powerful figure in U.S politics, chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He also developed a reputation as an outspoken advocate of aggressive foreign policy.
However, in July 2024, a court convicted him of serving as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government and trading influence for cash, gold, and even a Mercedes-Benz automobile.
Menendez, for his part, appealed to the court for mercy, citing his record in public service.
“You really don’t know the man you are about to sentence,” Menendez tearfully told Stein in the courtroom.
“Your honour, I am far from a perfect man. I have made more than my share of mistakes and bad decisions,” he added. “I’ve done far more good than bad. I ask you, Your Honour, to judge me in that context.”
The judge did not appear moved, stating at one point that Menendez had become a “corrupt politician”.
The 71-year-old Menendez had served 18 years in the Senate – and, before that, 13 years in the House of Representatives – before his political career came to an abrupt stop in 2024.
In August, amid the scandal of his corruption case, he resigned. The decision came a month after he was found guilty on 16 felony corruption charges.
“Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote in a January 9 court filing. They had requested a 15-year prison sentence.
Earlier on Wednesday, Menendez’s two co-defendants, New Jersey businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, were sentenced respectively to seven and more than eight years in prison.
A corruption trial for Menendez’s wife, Nadine, is scheduled to begin on March 18.
