Prosecutors have recommended a 15-year prison sentence for Robert Menendez, the disgraced former U.S. senator from New Jersey, following his conviction on 16 counts of corruption. Menendez was accused of putting his office “up for sale” in exchange for bribes, which included cash, gold bars, a luxury Mercedes-Benz, and other rewards.
The recommendation, submitted Thursday night in Manhattan federal court, follows a plea from Menendez’s lawyers for leniency, citing his age, decades of public service, and personal financial ruin. Probation officers have proposed a 12-year sentence, which Menendez’s defense team described as effectively a “death sentence.”
Menendez, a Democrat who served 18 years in the Senate and chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was convicted in July 2024. Prosecutors said he used his position to facilitate military aid to Egypt and assist Qatar, among other favors, as part of a bribery conspiracy. They also noted that the crimes represented “an extraordinary attempt, at the highest levels of the legislative branch, to corrupt the nation’s core sovereign powers over foreign relations and law enforcement.”
In the same filing, prosecutors recommended sentences of at least 10 years for Wael Hana and nine years for Fred Daibes, two New Jersey businessmen convicted alongside Menendez. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on January 29.
Menendez has denied the allegations and plans to appeal his conviction. He maintains his innocence, claiming that the evidence against him was improperly handled during the trial. His defense team has requested a prison term “substantially” below federal sentencing guidelines, which recommend up to 30 years in prison.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, is facing related charges and has sought to delay her February 5 trial due to the publicity surrounding her husband’s sentencing. Menendez, who previously faced a mistrial on corruption charges in 2017, has argued that the current case is an extension of a politically motivated effort against him.
Source: Reuters, January 13, 2025
