Former Senator Bob Menendez Sentenced To Prison, Here’s How Long

A Federal judge has sentenced former senator Bob Menendez to prison for 11 years.

The disgraced senator was previously found guilty of “abusing the power of his office in exchange for bribes in the form of gold bars, a luxury car, and other items.”

U.S. District Judge Sidney told Menendez, “You stood at the apex of our political system. Somewhere along the way, you lost your way.”

During his sentencing hearing, Menendez begged for mercy.

With tears in his eyes, Menendez told the judge, “For a man who spent his entire life in public service, every day I am awake is a punishment.”

BREAKING: Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery. pic.twitter.com/5ZEDikqpNi

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 29, 2025

Per ABC News:

A federal judge sentenced a tearful former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison Wednesday on corruption charges after being convicted of abusing the power of his office in exchange for bribes in the form of gold bars, a luxury car and other items.

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“You stood at the apex of our political system,” Judge Sidney Stein said in issuing the sentence. “Somewhere along the way, you lost your way.”

A jury found Menendez, 71, guilty on all 16 counts last year in his federal trial, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. His children, Alicia and Rob, were in court to witness the sentencing.

“The fact that he was a public office holder who held a position of great public trust has to be taken into account,” Stein said as he explained how he calculated the sentence.

Ahead of his sentencing Wednesday afternoon, two New Jersey businessmen convicted of paying bribes to Menendez received lengthy prison sentences. Wael Hana was sentenced to eight years in prison and Fred Daibes to seven years.

BREAKING: Former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison.

He was previously found guilty of extortion, conspiracy, obstruction, and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.

Wow.pic.twitter.com/Od2nGxTtRL

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 29, 2025

Check out what NBC News reported:

A judge sentenced an emotional former Sen. Bob Menendez Wednesday to 11 years in prison Wednesday for a years-long bribery and corruption scheme that saw him rewarded with gold bars and stacks of cash.

Menendez had pleaded with U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein for mercy, twice breaking down in tears.

“I have lost everything,” Menendez said, after recounting actions he said he had taken to help others while in the Senate, a job he was forced to resign after his conviction.

“For a man who spent his entire life in public service, every day I am awake is a punishment,” Menendez said.

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The judge appeared unmoved, and noted that while he had done some positive work, the evidence against him was “overwhelming” and he had failed the voters of New Jersey.

“Somewhere along the way you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician,” Stein told him before handing down his sentence.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 15 years for the New Jersey Democrat, which his attorneys called “vindictive and cruel” and “a life and death sentence” for the 71-year-old former chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Disgraced ex-NJ Sen. Bob Menendez cries as he begs for leniency — but gets 11 years in prison for gold bar bribery scheme https://t.co/yNnBBD8ijd pic.twitter.com/0vkosLA8Yu

— New York Post (@nypost) January 29, 2025