Disgraced Senator Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years In Prison for Corruption
Charlie Kirk Staff
01/29/2025

Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, D-N.J., received an 11-year prison sentence on Wednesday after being convicted of orchestrating a major bribery and foreign influence scheme. The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein in a New York City courtroom, marks the harshest punishment ever imposed on a sitting or former senator.
Menendez pleaded for leniency, telling the judge, “I have lost everything. Other than family, I have lost everything I care about. Every day I am awake is punishment. I am far from a perfect man… in half-century of public service, I have done far more good than bad.”
Before announcing the sentence, Judge Stein acknowledged Menendez’s past achievements but emphasized the severity of his crimes. “I take no pleasure in this sentence,” he stated. “You are quite right about your work. You worked your way up to a senator, to the chair of foreign relations committee. You were successful, powerful, stood at the apex of our political system. All letters are proof. Somewhere along the way, you lost your way.”
Menendez’s defense attorney, Adam Fee, argued for a lighter sentence, citing his client’s decades of public service and requesting no more than eight years behind bars. “Despite his decades of service, he is now known more widely as ‘Gold Bar Bob,’” Fee remarked.
Prosecutors, however, sought a 15-year sentence for the 71-year-old former senator, who was convicted in July 2024 on 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Menendez made history as the first U.S. senator ever found guilty of acting as a foreign agent. His co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, received eight-year and seven-year sentences, respectively.
“As proven at trial, the defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government,” prosecutors wrote.
Ahead of his sentencing, Daibes, 67, became emotional, telling the court that the jury’s verdict had left him “borderline suicidal” and pleading for mercy so he could continue caring for his 30-year-old autistic son. Meanwhile, Hana maintained his innocence, declaring, “I am an innocent man. I never bribed Senator Menendez or asked his office for influence.”
Despite their appeals, the judge stood firm, describing the jury’s decision as “very, very substantial.” A third businessman involved in the scheme had previously pleaded guilty and testified against Menendez during the trial.
Outside the courthouse, Menendez continued to insist he was wrongly prosecuted, labeling the case against him a “witch hunt” by the Justice Department. “President Trump is right. This process is political and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system,” he said.
Menendez’s conviction followed a nine-week trial, where evidence showed he accepted over $100,000 in gold bars and cash in exchange for political favors. The extensive bribery operation involved dealings with the governments of Egypt and Qatar. His wife, Nadine Menendez, also allegedly played a role in the scheme and is scheduled to stand trial on March 18. She is accused of receiving payments for a non-existent job.
The case against Menendez gained traction after his co-defendant, Jose Uribe, struck a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Uribe allegedly gifted Nadine Menendez a Mercedes convertible as part of the illicit arrangement.
“Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the state of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote in their pre-sentencing statement.