Senator Bob Menendez gets 11 years in prison for gold bar bribery scheme | 29 Jan 2025 | Former New Jersey senator Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for taking part in a bribery scheme that netted him gold bars, thousands in cash, a luxury car and more. The plan, which involved the ex-senator's wife Nadine and multiple businessmen, saw the Democrat handing out favors for those who could pay his price. Formerly the powerful chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez, 71, in July was found guilty on all 16 felony counts he faced for crimes related to the illegal favors he doled out. He was bribed by New Jersey businessmen and did the bidding of Egypt and Qatar, U.S. federal prosecutors claimed. It is the first time a senator has been found guilty of acting as a "foreign agent."