Former Sen. Bob Menendez Slams Corruption Conviction as “Political Prosecution” After 11-Year Sentence

Former Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) lashed out at the justice system on Wednesday after being sentenced to 11 years in prison, calling his corruption case a “political prosecution” and comparing his situation to former President Donald Trump’s legal battles.

“President Trump was right,” Menendez said outside the New York federal courthouse. “This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system.”

Menendez, who was convicted last year of accepting bribes in exchange for political favors, resigned from the Senate soon after his conviction. His political downfall began even earlier, when he was forced to step down as chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the charges became public.

A New York jury found Menendez guilty of accepting lavish gifts and payments from three businessmen and of acting as an agent for Egypt — marking the first time in U.S. history that a sitting public official has been convicted of working as a foreign agent, according to The Hill.

“You were successful, powerful — you stood at the apex of our political system,” U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said during sentencing, according to The Associated Press. “Somewhere along the way — and I don’t know exactly when — you lost your way. Serving the public good turned into serving your own interests.”

Menendez’s comments come at a time when Trump’s Justice Department has faced criticism for attempting to intervene in criminal cases involving Trump’s political allies, including a former Republican lawmaker, several individuals tied to the January 6 Capitol attack, and co-defendants in Trump’s classified documents case, The Hill reported.

The former senator declined to answer questions from reporters after his statement.