NEW YORK — On Wednesday, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes in the form of gold and cash, as well as serving as an agent for Egypt. His lawyer even noted that these offenses earned him the nickname “Gold Bar Bob.”
U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein delivered the sentence in Manhattan, following an emotional address from Menendez. He expressed that he had lost everything he valued, except for his family.
“You were once successful and powerful, standing at the pinnacle of our political system,” Judge Stein remarked. “At some point, you lost your direction, and serving the public good became serving your own interests.”
The judge pointed out that Menendez’s actions contribute to the skepticism voters feel towards their elected officials.
“What has been the outcome?” he continued, referencing the extensive investigation into the senator’s five-year crime spree. “You’ve lost your Senate seat, your chairmanship, and your good reputation.”
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for Menendez, a Democrat convicted of numerous charges, including acting on behalf of Egypt in exchange for bribes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When given the opportunity to speak before sentencing, Menendez became emotional, reflecting on his past achievements.
“You don’t truly know the person you are about to sentence,” Menendez told Judge Stein, standing with his hands in his pockets, except when he needed to wipe his tears.
“Your honor, I am not a perfect person. I have made my share of mistakes and poor choices,” he added. “Nonetheless, I have done far more good than harm. I urge you to consider that in your judgment.”
Attorney Adam Fee requested that the judge take into account Menendez’s “lifetime of extraordinary public service and personal sacrifices.”
“Despite his decades of service, he is now more widely recognized as Gold Bar Bob,” Fee stated.
Before the sentencing, Menendez’s defense team argued that he deserved less than two years behind bars, citing his extensive public service and a life dedicated to betterment after rising from poverty as the son of Cuban immigrants.
However, Fee indicated that the defense opted to request no more than eight years after observing Judge Stein impose significant prison sentences on two New Jersey businessmen convicted of bribing Menendez. Fred Daibes, a real estate developer, received a seven-year sentence and a $1.75 million fine, while Wael Hana, an entrepreneur, was sentenced to eight years with a $1.25 million fine and was ordered to forfeit $125,000.
Prior to the sentence announcement, Daibes, 67, tearfully told the judge that the jury’s verdict had left him “borderline suicidal” and pleaded for leniency to care for his 30-year-old autistic son.
Hana maintained his innocence, stating, “I never bribed Senator Menendez or sought his office’s influence.”
The judge, however, emphasized that the jury’s verdict was “very, very substantial.”
A third businessman had previously pleaded guilty and testified against Menendez during the trial last year.
Following his conviction, Menendez resigned from the Senate, and in the fall of 2023, he lost much of his influence when the charges against him surfaced, forcing him to relinquish his prominent role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The trial examined Menendez’s interactions with Egyptian officials and his efforts to assist three men who showered him with expensive gifts discovered during a 2022 raid on his Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, home, which he shared with his wife, Nadine.
During the FBI’s search of the residence, they uncovered $480,000 in cash, some of which was hidden inside boots and clothing pockets in the couple’s closets, as well as gold bars valued at approximately $150,000.
Prosecutors alleged that Menendez had “put his high office up for sale in exchange for this trove of bribes,” including promoting Egyptian interests while aiding a meat certification monopoly established by Hana with the Egyptian government.
Menendez provided Egyptian officials with sensitive information about U.S. Embassy staff in Cairo and drafted a letter to fellow senators urging them to lift a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt.
In return for other bribes, Menendez sought to persuade a federal prosecutor in New Jersey to show leniency towards Daibes, who was facing bank fraud charges.
Additionally, a witness at the trial, Jose Uribe, testified that he assisted Nadine Menendez in acquiring a Mercedes-Benz convertible after the senator attempted to influence state prosecutors to drop criminal investigations into his associates.
Menendez has consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that his dealings with Egyptian officials were typical for someone in his position and that he prioritized American interests. He denied accepting any bribes, claiming the gold bars belonged to his wife.
Nadine Menendez is set to stand trial in March on several charges similar to those faced by her husband, having spent the past year battling breast cancer.
In their pre-sentencing arguments, Menendez’s attorneys conveyed that he has already endured significant consequences.
“It’s no surprise that Senator Menendez’s conviction has turned him into a national joke, stripping him of every conceivable personal, professional, and financial advantage,” his lawyers stated. “Bob is now 71, with his reputation in ruins. He has suffered both financial and professional devastation.”
The defense team portrayed Menendez’s life as one dedicated to his country and community, especially after the traumatic early loss of his father, who died by suicide when Menendez was just 23 due to gambling debts.
They chronicled a 50-year record of public service, highlighting Menendez’s journey from mayor of Union City, New Jersey, to state lawmaker, member of the U.S. House, and ultimately a senator from 2006 to 2024.
However, he also carries the distinction of being the only U.S. senator to have been indicted twice.
In 2015, he faced charges for allegedly selling his influence to a wealthy Florida eye doctor who prosecutors claimed lavished him with luxury vacations and campaign contributions. However, the jury in that case could not reach a unanimous decision. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the case rather than retry him.