Robert 'Bob' Menendez, a powerful former US Senator, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. On Wednesday (Jan 29), the 71-year-old Democrat was given a prison sentence over corruption charges. This comes after gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were discovered at his home.
Following the sentencing, the Democrat leader was heard concurring with Republican President Donald Trump's convictions that the US justice system was "corrupted to the core".
'You lost your way'
Sentencing the Democrat leader, District Judge Sidney Stein told him, "Somewhere along the way… you lost your way".
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"Working for the public good became working for your good," admonished the judge.
Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, was convicted on multiple federal charges, including extortion, obstruction of justice, accepting bribes and acting as an agent of foreign governments - Egypt and Qatar.
Bob Menendez to appeal verdict
A crying Menendez had asked the judge for mercy, ahead of the sentencing, reports AFP.
"I am going to ask you for mercy -- not for me, but for Anthony," he said, referring to his son who has autism.
Prosecutors were seeking a jail term of 15 years for the Democrat, his counsel meanwhile was aiming for no more than eight years behind bars.
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Outside the court, on Wednesday, the former public official vowed he would appeal his prosecution, which he in Trump fashion labelled a "witch hunt".
He also said that Trump was right about the justice system. "President (Donald) Trump is right. 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," he said.
During a raid of his New Jersey home, FBI agents had found nearly $500,000 in cash hidden around the house, along with gold bars worth around $150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Subsequently, he was convicted alongside two of the businessmen he helped — Egyptian-American Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, a real estate developer. The two men were also handed jail terms on Wednesday. In March, a third business person, insurance broker Jose Uribe, had pleaded guilty to bribery charges and chose to assist investigators.
(With inputs from agencies)