Prosecutors Request 15-Year Sentence for Bob Menendez After Bribery Conviction
Federal prosecutors are pushing for a lengthy prison term for Bob Menendez following his bribery conviction
Bob Menendez, Bribery, New Jersey, Corruption, Federal Prosecutors
New York: Former Senator Bob Menendez is facing a tough time. Federal prosecutors want him to spend at least 15 years behind bars. They filed this request on Thursday.
According to the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, Menendez’s actions were pretty shocking. They described his crimes as “stunning” and said they showed a real lack of respect for his position.
They pointed out that this is a first. It’s the first time a senator has been convicted for abusing a leadership role on a Senate committee. Plus, it’s also the first time someone has been found guilty of acting as a foreign agent while being a public official.
Last summer, a jury found Menendez guilty on 16 counts of corruption. He was accused of taking bribes and acting on behalf of the Egyptian government while he was in charge of the Senate’s foreign relations committee. After the conviction, he stepped down.
Since then, he’s been trying to get the conviction overturned. He claims the prosecutors messed up by letting jurors see evidence that shouldn’t have been shown.
On top of that, Menendez is asking for a lighter sentence. He says his reputation is ruined and his life is a mess now.
U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein is set to decide Menendez’s fate, along with two New Jersey businesspeople who were also found guilty of bribing him, later this month.
Prosecutors are recommending a decade in prison for Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, and nine years for Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate developer.