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Federal prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence for former New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menéndez, following his conviction on multiple corruption charges and for acting as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt.
The sentencing will take place on January 29 at the federal court in Manhattan, marking a historic case in American politics, as highlighted by Telemundo 47.
Menéndez, 71 years old, was convicted in July on 16 counts of corruption, after an FBI raid at his home in 2022 uncovered $150,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in cash.
According to the prosecutors, these funds came from bribes paid by New Jersey businessmen seeking to influence the use of his political power to protect their business interests.
A "historical rarity" in political corruption
The case has been described by prosecutors as a "historical rarity" due to the severity of the allegations and the abuse of power in the United States Senate.
Menéndez, who chaired the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was accused of using his position to benefit the Egyptian government at the expense of his own colleagues' interests and the country.
The prosecutors allege that Menéndez assisted Wael Hana, a businessman convicted alongside him, in securing a monopoly on the certification of meat exported from the United States to Egypt, driving other companies out of the market.
Additionally, they pointed out that Menéndez secretly promoted the interests of the Egyptian government, even writing responses justifying human rights abuses on behalf of Egypt.
Additional implications
The wife of Menéndez, Nadine Menéndez, will go on trial in February on charges related to those of her husband. Meanwhile, the other two businessmen convicted in the case could also face lengthy prison sentences.
The case of Menéndez underscores the seriousness of the corruption charges and the growing concern over foreign influence in American politics, setting a precedent in the fight against abuse of power at the highest levels of government.
Defense arguments and statements from Menéndez regarding the accusations
Menéndez's lawyers sought leniency from the judge, arguing that the conviction has already destroyed his reputation, career, and financial stability. In this regard, they highlighted his age and current situation as reasons for a less severe sentence.
For his part, Menéndez rejected the prosecutors' arguments, labeling them as manipulated and unfounded. In a statement, Menéndez asserted that the sentencing memorandum from the Department of Justice "seriously distorts the facts presented at trial" and accused the prosecutors of using "illegal evidence" to sway the jury.
"The Department of Justice intentionally erased a laptop that contained crucial evidence that would have exposed its wrongdoing," Menéndez stated.
He also noted that the prosecutors overlooked his history of criticism towards the Egyptian government, emphasizing that he had insisted on imposing conditions on military aid and arms sales to Egypt, including improvements in human rights and democratic freedoms.
"The testimony of the Prosecutor's Office made it clear that I did not request anything illegal and that, in fact, I was not asking for anything at all," he added. Menéndez also argued that, following the prosecutors' logic, other senators who supported similar initiatives, such as Marco Rubio, could be classified as foreign agents.
The former senator concluded by demanding that the government "take responsibility for its actions" and provide explanations regarding the use of prohibited evidence and the destruction of key evidence during the trial.
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