Ex-US Senator Menedez sentenced to 11 years in prison

Ex-US Senator Menedez sentenced to 11 years in prison

NEW YORK
Ex-US Senator Menedez sentenced to 11 years in prison

Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on bribery, extortion and corruption charges.

Haberin Devamı

Menendez, 71, a longtime Democratic lawmaker from New Jersey, was convicted of 16 counts tied to allegations of accepting bribes, including gold bars and cash, in exchange for political favors.

In a tearful 12-minute speech before his sentencing in a New York federal courtroom, Menendez acknowledged past mistakes but defended his public service,.

“I have done far more good than bad,” he reportedly said.

A federal jury in New York in July found Menendez guilty of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

"Somewhere along the way... you lost your way," District Judge Sidney Stein said in announcing the sentence. "Working for the public good became working for your good."

Ahead of the sentencing, the court received letters from acquaintances of Menendez testifying to his character.

Prosecutors alleged that Menendez accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe, including gold bars, mortgage payments, a luxury car and more than $480,000 in cash.

In exchange, he allegedly shielded individuals from prosecution and used his office to benefit the Egyptian and Qatari governments.

On Jan. 29, Menendez vowed to appeal and called his prosecution a "witch hunt."

The judge ordered Menendez to begin his prison term on June 6, allowing him to attend his wife Nadine Menendez's corruption trial starting in March.

Menendez, who stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in August 2024, was also known for opposing arms sales to NATO ally Türkiye due to his apparent ties to Greek and Armenian lobbies in the U.S.