Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez will spend 11 years in prison after being caught in a major corruption scandal. The prosecutors wanted him to serve at least 15 years, saying his crimes were especially serious.
In 2023, when he was 71 years old, Menendez was found guilty of 16 different crimes. He accepted expensive gifts – including actual gold bars, cash payments, and a Mercedes-Benz car – in exchange for doing favours for the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
During his sentencing, Menendez broke down crying twice while asking Judge Sidney Stein to show mercy.
“I have lost everything,” he said.
But Judge Stein wasn’t moved by Menendez’s emotional plea, even though his lawyers asked for a shorter sentence combined with community service.
“Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician,” Stein said before giving Menendez his 11-year sentence on Wednesday.
On top of the prison time, Menendez must give up everything he got illegally – which adds up to $992,188.10, according to officials.
Menendez says he’ll fight the conviction. He’s also trying to get a pardon – first, he asked President Biden (who said no), and now he’s asking President Trump.
Like Trump did during his own legal troubles, Menendez is calling this a “political witch hunt” against him.
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