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Crypto Critic and Former Senator Bob Menendez Gets 11 Years in Prison for Bribery
Menendez is a former senator from New Jersey and a Democrat.
Updated Jan 30, 2025, 1:17 p.m. Published Jan 30, 2025, 12:57 p.m.
What to know:
- Menendez was convicted on charges of bribery last year.
- He had co-sponsored a bill pressuring El-Salvador to not accept bitcoin as legal tender.
Staunch crypto skeptic and disgraced former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday on charges of bribery and acting as an agent for Egypt, the Associated Press reported.
Menendez was a Democrat from New Jersey and famous for taking shots at crypto. He once called bitcoin (BTC) an "ideal choice for criminals" and also opposed El Salvador's acceptance of BTC.
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“You were successful, powerful, you stood at the apex of our political system,” District Judge Sidney H. Stein told Menendez, according to AP.
”Somewhere along the way, and I don’t know when it was, you lost your way and working for the public good became working for your good.” Stein added.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele took to X and commented on Menendez's sentencing.
"This senator was the great reference of the opposition (front pages, reports, etc.) when he accused El Salvador of using Bitcoin for money laundering and corruption," Bukele said.
“The thief judges by his condition,” he added.
Menendez took bribes in the form of gold and cash and used his political connections to act as an agent for Egypt, according to the report.
The former senator was convicted on bribery charges last year, as CoinDesk reported.
UPDATE (Jan. 30, 13:16 UTC): Adds Bukele's comment on the sentencing.
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