Former US Senator Bob Menendez given 11-year prison sentence for bribery

Menendez, erstwhile a almighty fig successful US overseas policy, was recovered blameworthy of selling power to the Egyptian government.

Robert Menendez, a erstwhile United States legislator representing New Jersey, has been handed an 11-year situation condemnation for bribery schemes that included receiving golden bars successful speech for favours connected behalf of Egypt.

On Wednesday, successful sorrowful testimony, Menendez told a Manhattan national tribunal that helium had mislaid everything helium loved arsenic a effect of the corruption charges, but for the enactment of his wife.

“For idiosyncratic who spent his full beingness successful nationalist service, each time I’m awake is simply a punishment,” Menendez, a Democrat, said.

Menendez was erstwhile a almighty fig successful US politics, chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He besides garnered a estimation arsenic an outspoken protagonist of hawkish overseas policies: For example, helium broke with Democratic ranks to reason a 2015 woody that would bounds Iran’s atomic programme successful speech for sanctions relief.

But successful July 2024, a tribunal recovered him blameworthy of acting arsenic a overseas cause connected behalf of the Egyptian authorities and trading power for cash, golden and adjacent a Mercedes-Benz car.

“You were successful, powerful. You stood astatine the apex of our governmental system,” US District Judge Sidney Stein said astatine Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.

“Somewhere on the mode – and I don’t cognize erstwhile it was – you mislaid your way, and moving for the nationalist bully became moving for your good.”

Menendez, for his part, appealed to the tribunal for mercy, citing his grounds successful nationalist service.

“You truly don’t cognize the antheral you are astir to sentence,” Menendez tearfully told Stein successful the courtroom.

“Your honour, I americium acold from a cleanable man. I person made much than my stock of mistakes and atrocious decisions,” helium added. “I’ve done acold much bully than bad. I inquire you, Your Honour, to justice maine successful that context.”

The justice did not look moved, stating astatine 1 constituent that Menendez had go a “corrupt politician”.

The 71-year-old Menendez had served 18 years successful the Senate – and, earlier that, 13 years successful the House of Representatives – earlier his governmental vocation came to an abrupt halt successful 2024.

In August, amid the ungraded of his corruption case, helium resigned. The determination came a period aft he was found guilty connected 16 felony corruption charges.

“Menendez, who swore an oath to correspond the United States and the State of New Jersey, alternatively enactment his precocious bureau up for merchantability successful speech for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote successful a January 9 tribunal filing. They had requested a 15-year situation sentence.

Earlier connected Wednesday, Menendez’s 2 co-defendants, New Jersey businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, were sentenced respectively to 7 and much than 8 years successful prison.

A corruption proceedings for Menendez’s wife, Nadine, is scheduled to statesman connected March 18.

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