Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years for Corruption

Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for political favors, marking him as the first public official to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent while in office. Prosecutors revealed that Menendez, alongside his wife Nadine, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars, gold bars, and luxury cars from New Jersey businessmen in return for using his influence to aid the Egyptian government and protect a halal meat certification monopoly. During the sentencing, Menendez expressed his emotional turmoil, stating he had lost everything except for his family, and he plans to appeal the verdict. Co-defendants Wael Hana and Fred Daibes received prison sentences of over eight years and seven years, respectively. Nadine Menendez's trial has been postponed until March due to her ongoing breast cancer treatment. Menendez is ordered to report to prison within 72 hours of the sentencing.