Former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has been permanently barred from holding public office in New Jersey following his conviction on federal corruption charges, the state attorney general announced.
Menendez, sentenced in January to 11 years in prison, is also prohibited from serving in any position of public trust by a ruling from New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy, per Fox News.
A jury found Menendez guilty in July 2024 on 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. He became the first U.S. senator in history to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent, and his 11-year sentence is the longest ever imposed on a member of the Senate.
“Critical to preserving the public’s faith and trust in government institutions is ensuring that elected officials who commit crimes involving their offices don’t find new opportunities to regain positions of power,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement, per Fox.
“Too many people in New Jersey have a cynical viewpoint that corruption is a routine, widespread feature of our politics. We hope the court’s decision sends a message that it is not acceptable, and it will carry consequences,” the statement continued.
Menendez, the former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will face a fourth-degree contempt-of-court charge if he attempts to seek public office or public employment in New Jersey, officials said.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes between 2018 and 2022. According to the state attorney general’s office, the payments included gold bars, cash, a luxury convertible, home furnishings and other items of value.
Prosecutors also accused Nadine Menendez of receiving paychecks for a job that did not actually exist.
Prosecutors say Menendez used his position in the Senate to advance the interests of those who provided the bribes, including by taking official actions that benefited foreign governments such as Egypt.
The indictment followed a plea agreement by co-defendant Jose Uribe, who allegedly provided Nadine Menendez with a Mercedes convertible. Uribe agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of his deal.
Menendez had pleaded his innocence and claimed the process was political and “corrupted to the core.”
“I hope President [Donald] Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system,” Menendez told reporters at his sentencing, per Fox.
Menendez relinquished his role as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2024 after being charged but has rebuffed demands for his resignation. There is speculation that he would consider an independent reelection candidacy to raise funds, potentially to mitigate his increasing legal expenses.
Menendez’s legal expenses were escalating at the time, and sources pointed out that he could only raise funds if he ran for office. Using campaign funds to cover legal fees is not uncommon; NBC News previously reported that affiliated committees of then-former President Trump spent nearly $50 million from fundraising revenue on legal expenses in 2023 alone as Democratic prosecutors and the Biden administration pursued criminal cases against him.
“A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system,” the Democrat senator said after he was charged.
“We cannot set aside the resumption of innocence for political expediency when the harm is irrevocable… Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them,” Menendez added at the time
Menendez also made it clear he did not intend to resign from the Senate: “Not only will I be exonerated, I will also still be NJ’s senior senator.”
