Former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday in a federal bribery case in which he was accused of trading political influence for cash, gold bars and other goods with two Egyptian and New Jersey businessmen.
A jury in July found Menendez, along with Edgewater developer Fred Daibes and Egyptian American businessman Wael Hana, guilty on all charges related to the bribery scheme. Daibes was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $1.75 million. Hana was sentenced to a little more than eight years in prison and fined $1.3 million. Menendez was not fined for his part in the corruption.
The trial hinged on accusations that Menendez used his political might to influence criminal investigations involving the two businessmen and helped direct billions in U.S. aid to Egypt to bolster their business dealings. In exchange, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, received gifts including gold bars, cash and luxury cars.