US prosecutors seek a 15-year prison term for former Senator Robert (Bob) Menendez of New Jersey on Thursday, following his convictions of bribery, corruption and acting as an unregistered foreign agent on July 16.

The charges stemmed from a years-long process in which Menendez utilized his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit the government of Egypt and his co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. Menendez’s conviction posits him as the first US senator convicted of acting as a foreign agent while in office.

Prosecutors recommend a 15-year sentence for Menendez, arguing that his actions constitute a historic breach of public trust and national security. They describe Menendez’s conduct as “extraordinary,” citing his willingness to use his influential position to benefit foreign interests and enrich his co-defendants. For Hana, who prosecutors say facilitated the bribery scheme, they seek a sentence of at least 10 years in prison. For Daibes, who provided substantial financial contributions to the scheme, they seek a minimum of 9 years imprisonment. The prosecutors contend that these lengthy sentences are necessary to hold the defendants accountable, deter similar conduct in the future, and uphold the integrity of public office.

Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted on multiple corruption charges in October 2023. Prosecutors charged that between 2018 and 2022, the couple accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen which included his co-defendants and a man named Jose Uribe. The bribes notably included $480,000 in cash, $150,000 in gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, and a luxury vehicle. These were given in exchange for Menendez using his Senate influence to provide Egyptian officials with sensitive US government information, pressure the Department of Agriculture to maintain a monopoly that benefited Hana’s halal certification company and intervene in federal and state criminal cases to assist Uribe and Daibes. Menendez announced his resignation shortly after his conviction on these charges.

Menendez was originally to be sentenced on October 29, 2024, but has since been delayed and scheduled to take place on January 29.

The 2023 indictment was the second time Menendez had faced corruption charges after being indicted in 2015 on allegations of accepting lavish gifts and campaign contributions from a Florida doctor in exchange for political favors. However, the case involving those charges ended in a mistrial in 2017 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Following the mistrial, the Senate Ethics Committee admonished Menendez in 2018, finding that he had violated Senate rules by accepting gifts without proper disclosure and using his position to advance the doctor’s personal and financial interests.