Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez reported to the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, to begin an 11-year prison sentence for a bribery and corruption scheme.
The 71-year-old, who served nearly two decades in the U.S. Senate and chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saw his political career collapse after a federal conviction.
Menendez was found guilty in July 2024 on 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt—a historic first for a sitting U.S. senator. Prosecutors described the case as a blatant corruption scheme, with Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepting nearly $1 million in bribes, including gold bars, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, in exchange for political favors benefiting three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The scheme, spanning 2018 to 2022, involved Menendez securing military aid for Egypt, protecting a business monopoly for a businessman, and interfering in criminal investigations for others. One businessman provided the senator’s wife with a luxury car to influence state fraud investigations. Two associates were also convicted, receiving sentences of over eight and seven years, respectively, with hefty fines.
When FBI agents searched Menendez’s Englewood Cliffs home in 2022, they found over $480,000 in cash hidden in clothing and shoes, gold bars worth more than $100,000, and other lavish gifts, presented as evidence of the senator’s corruption. Menendez maintained his innocence, claiming the gold belonged to his wife and that his actions were legitimate constituent services.
The once-powerful Democrat’s imprisonment closes a chapter on a scandal that shocked New Jersey and the nation, underscoring the consequences of abusing public office. Menendez’s sentence includes three years of supervised release and over $200,000 in forfeiture and restitution. His wife’s trial, delayed due to health issues, is pending.
