By: Rob Otto

Disgraced former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez has been permanently barred from holding any public office in the state following his stunning bribery conviction involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold bars, cash, and luxury gifts, the New York Post reported.

The sweeping prohibition was announced by New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin after a Superior Court judge ruled that Menendez’s crimes demanded the harshest possible political consequence.

Menendez, who once chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was sentenced in January to 11 years in federal prison — the longest sentence ever handed down to a U.S. senator. He was convicted in July 2024 of 16 criminal counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent. According to the NY Post, he is the first sitting or former U.S. senator in American history to be found guilty of secretly working on behalf of a foreign government.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy ruled that Menendez is permanently barred from public office and from holding any position of public trust in the state. If the disgraced lawmaker ever attempts to apply for office or government employment, he would face a fourth-degree contempt-of-court charge.

Attorney General Platkin said the decision was essential to restoring faith in government, the NY Post reported. “Critical to preserving the public’s faith and trust in government institutions is ensuring that elected officials who commit crimes involving their offices don’t find new opportunities to regain positions of power,” Platkin said. He added that many New Jersey residents believe corruption is embedded in state politics, and this ruling sends a clear message that such conduct carries lasting consequences.

Federal prosecutors proved that between 2018 and 2022, Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accepted bribes in various forms: gold bars, envelopes stuffed with cash, a luxury Mercedes convertible, expensive home furnishings, and even paychecks for a job that Nadine allegedly never performed, the NY Post reported. In return, prosecutors said, Menendez used his influence in Washington to advance the interests of the individuals providing the bribes — and to benefit foreign governments, including Egypt, by taking official actions on their behalf.

Photos published by the NY Post showed the lavish items investigators seized, including piles of gold bars and stacks of cash hidden throughout the couple’s Englewood home.

The corruption case escalated after co-defendant Jose Uribe — who allegedly supplied Nadine with the luxury convertible — agreed to a plea deal and cooperated with federal prosecutors, paving the way for the sweeping indictment that ultimately brought down the senator’s decades-long political career.

Despite the conviction, Menendez insisted he was the victim of political retribution. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming the process was “corrupted to the core.” At his sentencing, he told reporters.