Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez Permanently Barred from New Jersey Public Office

A New Jersey court has permanently banned former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez from holding any state or local public office. The order follows his federal conviction on serious corruption charges last year. A jury found the Democrat guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for political favors. The charges included using his official influence to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar, as well as several New Jersey businessmen. This legal action is a historic step for the state. It marks the first use of a New Jersey law that allows courts to ban officials convicted of corruption involving their public duties. Menendez resigned from the Senate following his conviction. He is scheduled for sentencing in his federal criminal case later this year and faces a potential decades-long prison term.