Former Sen. Bob Menendez Permanently Barred From Holding Public Office in New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J. — Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez has been permanently disqualified from seeking or holding public office in New Jersey following his federal convictions, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Friday.
Menendez, a longtime senator and one-time chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was formally barred from holding “any office or position of honor, trust, or profit” in state or local government under an order issued by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy, the Mercer County Assignment Judge.
According to the order, Menendez would face a fourth-degree contempt-of-court charge if he applies for public office, seeks public employment, or takes steps to run for, be appointed to, or be elected to any public position in New Jersey.
The ruling follows Menendez’s July 16, 2024, conviction in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in January 2025 to 11 years in federal prison.
“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,” Attorney General Platkin said. “Too many people in New Jersey have a cynical viewpoint that corruption is a routine, widespread feature of our politics. We hope the court’s decision sends a message that it is not acceptable and it will carry consequences.”
Federal prosecutors said Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes between 2018 and 2022, including gold bars, cash, home furnishings, and a luxury convertible. In exchange, Menendez allegedly took official actions to benefit the bribe payers’ interests and foreign governments, including Egypt.
The disqualification order was obtained by Deputy Attorney General Adam Klein, Special Assistant to the OPIA Executive Director, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Director Jeffrey J. Manis and OPIA Executive Director Eric L. Gibson.
