Thursday, 20 Mar 2025

Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in bribery case

Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez will spend the next 11 years in prison following his sentencing on corruption charges Wednesday.


Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in bribery case
1.5 k views

A judge sentenced disgraced former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison on Wednesday, concluding his trial for a "long-running bribery and foreign influence scheme of rare gravity."

The sentence is the harshest ever handed down to a U.S. senator. Breaking down in tears, Menendez pleaded with U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein for mercy in a New York City courtroom. 

Before handing down his punishment, Stein said: "I take no pleasure in this sentence."

"You are quite right about your work. You worked your way up to a senator, to the chair of foreign relations committee," Stein told Menendez. "You were successful, powerful, stood at apex of political system. All letters are proof. Somewhere along the way, you lost your way."

Prosecutors had requested a 15-year sentence for Menendez, 71, after he was convicted on July 24 on 16 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He is the first U.S. Senator in American history to be convicted of working as a foreign agent. His co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced to 8 years and 7 years respectively.

The disgraced Democrat was accused and convicted of participating in a yearslong bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez's wife, Nadine, who is set to go on trial on March 18, also allegedly participated in the scheme. She is accused of receiving paychecks for a job that did not exist.

"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 ahead of the sentencing.

Jamie Joseph, Rachel Wolf, and Maria Paronich contributed to this report

you may also like

Expedia customer says hotel requested cancellation because rate was too 'low'
  • by foxnews
  • descember 09, 2016
Expedia customer says hotel requested cancellation because rate was too 'low'

A woman traveling overseas says she booked a hotel room through Expedia.com, only for the hotel to call and ask her to cancel due to the rate being too "low."

read more