Former senator Bob Menendez banned from holding public office in New Jersey

Former New Jersey Senator Banned from Holding Public Office Amid Corruption Conviction

A permanent ban has been issued against former US senator Bob Menendez, who was convicted of federal corruption charges in his home state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Supreme Court order, signed by Judge Robert Lougy, prohibits Menendez from seeking or holding any public office in the state, citing a fourth-degree charge of contempt of court if he attempts to do so.

Menendez's conviction came after he pleaded guilty to accepting bribes of gold and cash, as well as acting as an agent for Egypt. The crimes earned him the nickname "Gold Bar Bob" during his trial. He resigned from the US Senate in August 2024, a month after being convicted of selling his political clout for bribes.

The ban is aimed at restoring public trust in government institutions and sending a message that corruption will not be tolerated. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin stated that "too many people have a cynical viewpoint that corruption is a routine feature of our politics," and the court's decision aims to prove otherwise.

Menendez's conviction also implicated his wife, Nadine, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for selling her husband's influence for cash, gold bars, and a fancy car. The 71-year-old Menendez has maintained his innocence throughout the trial process but is now facing an 11-year prison sentence.

The move has sparked mixed reactions from politicians, with some expressing support for the ban while others have criticized it as overly restrictive. Despite being convicted, Menendez continues to hold out hope for a pardon from former President Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about the US court system in the past.

I'm literally still trying to wrap my head around this The fact that some dude like Bob Menendez can just accept bribes and sell his soul for gold bars and cash, and then gets a Senate seat It's just sickening! And now he's being banned from holding public office in New Jersey? About bloody time too I mean, what kind of message does this send to the rest of us that corruption is okay as long as you've got connections? Like, no thanks, Bob You can keep your "Gold Bar Bob" nickname, but I'll stick with my values

I'm also still shook about Nadine getting 4.5 years in prison for selling her husband's influence too It's like, hello, you're both guilty of the same thing! Why should she get less time than him? It just seems so unfair And then there's Menendez himself trying to hold out hope for a pardon from Trump? Like, dude, you've got 11 years to think about that one. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your little gold bar vacation

I don't get why they're making such a big deal out of this guy's corruption scandal. Like, he took some bribes and sold his influence, what's the worst? It's not like he broke any laws that everyone else hasn't broken at some point. And now he's getting a permanent ban from holding public office in NJ? I mean, isn't that a bit harsh? He's already serving an 11-year sentence, why do they need to add more restrictions? It feels like the state is trying to send a message about corruption, but it just comes across as petty and excessive.

I mean, I guess this is a good thing that Bob Menendez got banned from holding public office. I know some people might be all like "oh no, what about his freedom?" but think about it, if someone's gonna get caught up in corruption and then try to weasel their way back into power, isn't that kinda just the problem? At least now he can't use his position for personal gain... which is basically what was going on in the first place . Plus, I'm sure all those gold bars he took for himself are probably just sitting there somewhere, just waiting to be seized by the feds . It's not perfect, but I guess this is a step in the right direction. And hey, Nadine getting 4.5 years in the slammer isn't so bad either... she's gonna have plenty of time to think about what she did .

just thinkin' about corruption makin' headlines again . some people say this ban is long overdue, it's like they say, what goes around comes around . can't help but wonder how many more like Bob Menendez are out there gettin' away with stuff . anyway, the fact that his wife got in trouble too just shows how far corruption can reach . guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it and hope some people take this as a chance to clean up politics

I gotta say, this permanent ban on Bob Menendez feels like a pretty big deal. He was a powerful senator with a lot of influence, and now he's basically out of the game for good. It's not like he did anyone any favors to earn that kind of respect from the law - taking bribes and selling his clout? That's just shady.

I get why New Jersey wants to restore public trust, but it feels like they're trying to send a message more than anything. Like, we already knew corruption existed in politics, no need to prove it again. Still, I guess you can't have too much transparency and accountability when it comes to elected officials.

The thing is, this ban isn't going to stop other folks from getting into the same kind of trouble in the future. We've just got to keep on keeping on, making sure our politicians stay honest and accountable. It's not an easy task, but I think we're up for it!

I FEEL LIKE THIS BAN IS A GOOD THING FOR NEW JERSEY!!! IT SHOWS THAT THE COURT SYSTEM IS SERIOUS ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE IN POWER FROM ABUSING THEIR POSITIONS! MENENDEZ'S CRIMES WERE JUST PLAIN GROSS AND IT'S ABOUT TIME HE FACES THE CONSEQUENCES. I THINK THIS BAN WILL ALSO HELP RESTORE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT FOR NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITH MENENDEZ'S CONVICTION. I MEAN WHO WANTS TO VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN CAUGHT RED-HANDED TRYING TO SELL OUT THEIR STATE? NOT ME!!!

I'm surprised by this move, you know? Like, isn't the point of having public office that people can, like, make mistakes and try to fix them? A 11 year sentence seems kinda harsh, especially since Menendez is only 71 now He's already been through so much, but then again I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong. It's just hard not to feel a little sorry for him, you know? But at the same time, I get why New Jersey is trying to restore public trust and all that

I'm kinda surprised by this ban, ya know? I mean, corruption's always been around, but is it really necessary to go as extreme as banning someone from holding public office? It's like they're saying, "Sorry Bob, you can't be a senator again, even if you want to." I get why the state wants to restore trust and all that, but maybe it's too harsh. The guy already admitted to doing some shady stuff, so yeah, he should face consequences . But an 11-year prison sentence? That's a long time... still can't help feeling bad for his wife Nadine tho

I'm not sure about this permanent ban thing... Like, isn't 11 years in prison enough punishment? You're still serving time and now you can't even hold public office? That feels like a bit of overkill to me Can we get more info on how the New Jersey Supreme Court came up with this ruling? Is it based on some specific case law or precedent? And what about the pardon thing from Trump... is that just a power play? I need more context before I can fully wrap my head around this one

I mean, come on... can't believe what's going down with Bob Menendez . I was watching him on C-SPAN back when he was senator, and now look at him – serving a permanent ban for corruption charges? That's like, totally understandable, you know? Can't have folks in power thinking they're above the law... but at the same time, it seems kinda harsh. I mean, 11 years in prison is a long time... . But hey, if he broke the rules, he should face the consequences. Still, it's pretty wild to think about how his whole situation went down – selling influence for gold bars and fancy cars? . It just goes to show that even politicians can be human... with flaws .

Can you believe this guy was known as "Gold Bar Bob" and now he's gold-plated behind bars? I mean, corruption is no laughing matter, but come on, a 71-year-old trying to pawn off his clout for a fancy ride? It's like the ultimate midlife crisis! He gets caught with his hands in the cookie jar, and now he's facing an 11-year sentence. At least his wife got her just desserts, though – four-and-a-half years is no joke! But seriously, you've gotta admire the move by New Jersey to ban him from public office altogether. It's like a big fat "no more politics for you" stamp on his forehead . Trump might think he can pardon him, but I guess that's just another thing he can't gold-plate

I'm not sure if a permanent ban is the right approach here... I mean, 11 years in prison is already a pretty harsh sentence , and now Menendez might have to live without holding public office for his whole life . On one hand, you've got to restore trust in government institutions and all that , but on the other hand, isn't this just kinda... punitive? I think what's more important is accountability and making sure these kinds of corruption cases don't happen in the first place . Maybe instead of a ban, they could've focused on making laws that prevent similar situations from arising in the future . Just a thought...

So like, I get why they'd wanna ban him from holding public office... corruption is super not cool and it's a huge letdown when you think about all the trust that's supposed to be there . But at the same time, I'm curious how this whole thing went down - did he really just take bribes from Egypt? It sounds crazy! And what about his wife, Nadine - she got a pretty sweet sentence for selling their influence...

It's also interesting to see how politicians are reacting to it. Some people think the ban is totally justified, but others are like "come on, he's only gotten an 11-year sentence" . And then there's Donald Trump saying he might pardon him - that's just wild . Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out .

idk why they gotta make an example outta him ... think about all the other corrupt politicians and nuthin gets said about them . Menendez got off easy compared to some of the others, but I guess it's better late than never, right? still feels like there should be more transparency in gov't institutions before someone's gonna get banned .

This permanent ban on Bob Menendez is super needed imo. I mean, corruption in government is like, so not okay and he literally got caught red-handed (or should i say, with a gold bar ) taking bribes for his own gain. It's crazy that some ppl still think it's all just part of the game , but this ban proves that we can't have that kind of behavior going on in our institutions.

And honestly, I'm not surprised he's still trying to get a pardon from Trump , that guy has been all about giving favors to his buddies and ignoring facts. Anyways, it's good to see NJ taking a stand against corruption and sending a message that we won't tolerate it in our politicians. Nadine too got her comeuppance for being involved with the shady dealings, so at least there's some accountability there.

I cant help but feel that this permanent ban is a step in the right direction, ya know? We gotta keep our elected officials accountable, and if they get caught up in corruption, they should be held to the same standards as everyone else. It's sad that it took Bob Menendez's conviction for his own public office to be banned, but I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.

I'm not sure about all these politicians who are criticizing this ban, though - shouldn't they be on board with keeping our government clean? I mean, we want to trust the people we elect to make good decisions for us, right? It's like my old grandpa used to say: "You can't fix what you don't acknowledge." So yeah, I think this ban is a necessary measure to restore public trust and show that corruption won't be tolerated.

I just hope that it sets a precedent for other officials who might be tempted down the same path - we need more people in power who are willing to put country over personal gain

Wow the fact that this is happening in 2025 is crazy, I mean we're still dealing with politicians trying to buy their way to power? Like, what's next? Interesting how some politicians are actually supporting this ban, shows they get it, corruption has no place in politics

this whole thing is so wild, like how one guy can mess up big time and still get away with some shady stuff before getting caught... i mean, Bob Menendez went all out with the gold bars and whatnot, but that's just not how politics should work . now he's paying the price, but it feels kinda late for the whole country... like, we should've seen this coming a mile away, you know? it's funny that some people think corruption is no big deal, though... newsflash: it is!

OMG like what is goin on w/ Bob Menendez?? He literally got busted 4 corrupting politicians & now he's gettin banned from holdin public office in NJ?! That's so fair tbh like, if u break the rules u gotta face the consequences. I'm all for restorein trust in gov institutions & makin it clear that corruption wont be tolerated. And poor Nadine too she got 4 years behind bars 4 sellin her hubby's influence... anywayz, Menendez is gettin an 11 yr sentence & i gotta say, IM SHAKIN at his chance of a pardon from Trump lol what do u guys think about this whole situation tho?