Prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence for former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. The Democrat from New Jersey was convicted by a New York jury last July of corruption and acting as a foreign agent.
In total, he was found guilty on sixteen charges. In 2022, the FBI discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars and gold bars worth $150,000 at the 71-year-old politician’s home, which prosecutors claim were bribes from businessmen.
One businessman, with Menendez’s help, secured exclusive rights to certificates for exporting goods like halal meat to Egypt. Menendez was also found guilty of passing U.S. military information to the Egyptian government, which he denied, stating, “I have never been a foreign agent.” At the time of his indictment in 2023, he was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position he relinquished due to the charges.
Prosecutors described the case as “a historic rarity,” citing Menendez’s abuse of his powerful role in the committee. His attorneys urged leniency due to his age, asserting that the conviction has already made him a “national scapegoat,” stripping him of all “personal, professional, and financial advantages.” Menendez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29.
Source: NOS