A federal judge sentenced former senator Bob Menendez to eleven years in prison on Wednesday afternoon, months after the disgraced New Jersey Democrat was convicted on 16 felony counts for taking bribes from three businessmen and the Egyptian government.
The sentencing marks the end of the former lawmaker’s legal battle in which he was accused of bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Menendez became the first senator to be convicted as a foreign agent.
“The public cannot be led to the belief that you can get away with bribery, fraud, and betrayal,” U.S. District judge Sidney Stein said in court.
“I don’t know what led you to this — greed was certainly part of it,” she added. “But that can’t be it, I don’t think that explains everything. Hubris was part of it, I don’t know. You’ll have to try to figure that out yourself over time.”
Menendez appeared remorseful for his actions, calling himself a “chastened man.”
“Other than family, I have lost everything I ever cared about,” he said during his sentencing. “For someone who spent his entire life in public service, every day I’m awake is a punishment.”
Prosecutors alleged the three-term senator and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, accepted bribes — including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible — from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for help with a number of legal issues. Menendez was also accused of accepting bribes to work as a foreign agent on behalf of Qatar and Egypt while he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Federal prosecutors recommended a 15-year sentence, while Menendez’s lawyers argued the judge should consider alternatives to incarceration. Two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were sentenced earlier Wednesday to eight years and seven years, respectively.
Meanwhile, the third businessman, Jose Uribe, is scheduled for sentencing on April 24. Menendez’s wife is set to go to trial on March 18 for her involvement in the long-running corruption and bribery scheme.
The New Jersey Democrat, who resigned from the Senate in August 2024 following his two-month trial, vowed to appeal his conviction. The defendant’s lawyers argued he should remain free pending that appeal. His appeal could end up being considered before the Supreme Court.