Federal prosecutors want at least a 15-year sentence for former New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez. He is convicted of trading his political clout for bribes, including $150,000 worth of gold bars, as well as cash and gifts from three businessmen.
Two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were also convicted, did not deny giving Menendez and his wife the valuables, but argued at trial that they were either loans or gifts of good will, intended to nurture a relationship.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The third businessman involved pleaded guilty, and testified at the trial in July.
Prosecutors filed a memo Thursday, Jan. 9, in federal district court, citing the “rare gravity” of the crimes, saying it was an attempt to corrupt the nation’s powers over foreign relations and law enforcement.
The prosecutors’ recommendation comes after Menendez’s lawyers asked for leniency, noting the 71-year-old’s age, his decades of public service, charity work and devotion to his family.
In the filing, prosecutors also recommended a sentence of at least 10 years for Hana and nine years for Daibes.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who was charged for conspiring to trade her husband’s political influence, is slated to go on trial in February. Menendez, who resigned from his seat in August, is due to be sentenced Jan. 29.
