NEW JERSEY – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez has been permanently prohibited from holding any public office or position of public trust in New Jersey following his federal convictions.
New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy, the assignment judge in Mercer County, issued the order that forever disqualifies Menendez from serving in state or local government. The ruling means that any attempt by Menendez to apply, campaign, or seek appointment for public office would trigger a fourth-degree contempt-of-court charge.
Menendez, a former chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was convicted July 16, 2024, in the Southern District of New York after a nine-week trial. Jurors found him guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was sentenced in January 2025 to 11 years in federal prison.
Platkin said the action was necessary to reinforce public confidence in government.
“Maintaining trust in our institutions requires making sure that officials who abuse their power are not able to return to positions of authority,” Platkin said. “New Jerseyans should know that corruption will not be tolerated and carries lasting consequences.”
Federal prosecutors said Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes between 2018 and 2022. Investigators said the payments came in the form of gold, cash, a luxury vehicle, furnishings and other valuables. In return, Menendez allegedly used his influence to advance the interests of those providing the bribes and to undertake actions benefiting foreign governments, including Egypt.
The state’s disqualification order was secured by Deputy Attorney General Adam Klein of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, under the direction of Corruption Bureau Director Jeffrey J. Manis and OPIA Executive Director Eric L. Gibson.
