For his involvement in a multi-year corruption operation in which he exploited his political influence to do favors for the Egyptian government in exchange for extravagant gifts, former New Jersey senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in jail.
As the first senator to be found guilty of acting as a foreign agent, Menendez, a former three-term senator and the head of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared before a federal judge in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday, sometimes crying and surrounded by attorneys.
The 71-year-old Menendez took bribes in the form of expensive presents from three businesses in New Jersey who sought his help to sabotage federal and state criminal investigations and close profitable transactions with Egyptian and Qatari officials.
You were at the top of our political hierarchy, prosperous, and influential. “Somewhere along the way, and I am not sure when, you lost your way, and working for the public good became working for your own good,” said District Judge Sidney Stein to Menendez.
The former US senator begged the judge to consider his lengthy public service before imposing his punishment.
Your Honor, I’m not a flawless dude. I have erred and made poor choices more times than I can count. I’ve accomplished far more good than negative. Menendez sobbed as he added, “I ask you, your honor, to judge me in that context.”
He talked about other instances in which he assisted others, including helping a family get a new kidney for a family member.
Menendez sobbed as he talked about how his dedication to public duty caused him to miss a number of occasions in his two children’s life. He found it difficult to express the pain of losing out on things in his grandchildren’s life if he received a lengthy sentence.
Judge Stein told the former senator that his wrongdoing would not go unpunished, even if he acknowledged that Menendez had done a lot of good in his life.
According to a judge, you cannot give the public the impression that bribery is acceptable.
About six months ago, a jury found Menendez guilty on 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, corruption, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Prosecutors said that this was the most serious conduct a senator had ever been found guilty of in the republic’s history.
In 2022 and 2023, federal officials conducted a search of Menendez’s residence and discovered something surprising.
A Mercedes-Benz convertible parked in the driveway, more than $480,000 in cash tucked into coat jacket pockets, shoes, and bags, and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars—one of which was found in a Ziploc bag stuffed in a closet.
Two co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, as well as Jose Uribe, a previous co-defendant who accepted a plea bargain, offered bribes to Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, in exchange for jewelry and other presents.
Judge Stein has received a request from federal prosecutors to sentence Menendez to 15 years in prison, a fine of $2.8 million, and more than $920,000 in restitution.
The lawyers for the former senator pleaded with the judge to be lenient and suggest house confinement and hard community work as alternatives.
Menendez was connected to Egyptian intelligence officers by Hana, an Egyptian-American entrepreneur who runs a halal-meat certification firm. Menendez helped Hana negotiate a profitable deal with US authorities to serve as Egypt’s only halal meat certifier.
Menendez supplied sensitive material to Egyptian officials and pushed the United States to give Egypt millions of dollars in military aid.
Hana received a prison term of about eight years.
Menendez was given money and gold by real estate developer Daibes in return for helping him thwart a criminal probe and find investors for a construction project. A Qatari investor who was also a member of the Qatari royal family was introduced to Menendez by Daibes.
Later, Menendez supported a Senate resolution that praised Qatar.
On Wednesday, Daibes received a seven-year prison sentence.
“I gave Menendez and his wife a Mercedes-Benz convertible in exchange for Menendez interfering with a state fraud investigation,” Uribe, an insurance executive, said prosecutors when he entered a guilty plea. Menendez then discussed the subject with the attorney general of New Jersey.
In April, Uribe will receive his punishment.
Menendez’s attorneys claim that the senator’s wife was a major player in the plot and that Nadine coerced Menendez into taking the expensive presents.
In March, Nadine is scheduled to go on trial. When she disclosed that she had breast cancer last year, her trial was split from her husband’s.
From the moment of his indictment until his sentencing, Menendez insisted on his innocence and promised to challenge his verdict.
Menendez refused to cede power in the face of resignation requests from other Democratic members of Congress. For a brief moment, he contemplated running as an independent for re-election in the state. But Menendez quit after being found guilty.
After the verdict, Menendez declared, “I have always been nothing but a patriot of my country and for my country.” Every member of the US Senate would be at risk based on their perceptions of what a foreign agent would be if the jury’s verdict were to be made today.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.