{"id":2388000,"date":"2025-01-08T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-state-ethics-commissioner-seeks-leniency-for-bob-menendez\/"},"modified":"2025-01-08T17:00:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T22:00:53","slug":"new-jersey-state-ethics-commissioner-seeks-leniency-for-bob-menendez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-state-ethics-commissioner-seeks-leniency-for-bob-menendez\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey state ethics commissioner seeks leniency for Bob Menendez"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-jersey-state-ethics-commissioner-seeks-leniency-for-bob-menendez%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2388000&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The New Jersey state ethics\u2062 commissioner has reached out\u2063 to the judge overseeing the case \u200cof former Senator Bob\u200c Menendez, requesting leniency in his sentencing. Menendez was convicted in July 2024 on multiple charges,including bribery and conspiracy,leading\u200b to his resignation from the Senate a month later. Despite the conviction, he has not yet \u200dbeen sentenced. The\u2063 ethics commissioner&#8217;s plea highlights ongoing discussions about the severity of\u2064 the punishment Menendez may face as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-pleads-not-guilty-to-new-charges-in-classified-documents-case\/\" title=\"Trump denies new charges in classified documents case.\">legal proceedings continue<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">New Jersey state ethics commissioner seeks leniency for Bob Menendez<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1930542\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>One of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">New Jersey&rsquo;s<\/a> six <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">state ethics commissioners wrote<\/a> a letter to convicted former Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bob-menendez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Bob Menendez&rsquo;s<\/a> judge asking for leniency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>A jury convicted Menendez in July 2024 of 16 crimes, including bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. He resigned his position as a U.S. <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">senator<\/a> a month later, but he has yet to be sentenced.<\/p>\n<p>Ethics Commissioner Victor Herlinsky penned the letter pleading on behalf of his friend, calling Menendez a &ldquo;champion for people.&rdquo; Herlinsky is one of six appointed commissioners whose job is to seek out conflicts of interest within the state government, among other objectives.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I sincerely wish that I didn&rsquo;t have to write this letter,&rdquo; Herlinsky&rsquo;s letter begins. &ldquo;I would have much rather been&nbsp;writing a letter to support Bob Menendez&rsquo;s re-election this November. I have been proud to&nbsp;support his efforts as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to protect oppressed peoples throughout the world, particularly in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;His voice will be sorely missed as a champion for people victimized by autocrats,&rdquo; it continues. &ldquo;Alas, I am writing Your Honor as you contemplate the sentence to impose on now ex-Senator Bob Menendez for actions atypical of the Bob Menendez I know.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The theme of Herlinsky&rsquo;s letter relates to the fact that he believes Menendez has done enough good to excuse at least some of his actions. He especially noted his pro-Ukraine stance, saying it was &ldquo;particularly poignant for me&rdquo; given that both of his parents are Ukrainian refugees.<\/p>\n<p>He also said he played golf with the senator and &ldquo;bonded over the reality that neither of us is a particularly stellar golfer.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am letting Your Honor know of all the good that Senator Menendez has done so you will be able to balance that against the actions you heard at trial,&rdquo; Herlinsky wrote. &ldquo;In light of all the good that Senator Menendez has done, I do not believe he deserves a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutors-offer-plea-deal-to-nyc-lawyers-who-firebombed-police-vehicle\/\" title=\"Prosecutors Offer Plea Deal to NYC Lawyers Who Firebombed Police Vehicle\">lengthy jail sentence<\/a>. I ask that you look at the totality of his life and give Bob a sentence that will allow him to live a useful and fulfilling life in service to his community. I want to thank Your Honor for your thoughtfulness during the trial and consideration of this letter.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Menendez, 71, could receive a sentence longer than his natural life. The Probation Department calculated federal sentencing guidelines as calling for a sentence as high as 30 years in prison, though it recommended 12 years behind bars.<\/p>\n<p>His lawyers begged the judge to be lenient on his sentence given the trial has &ldquo;caused financial and professional ruin&rdquo; and the fact that he is already enduring his wife&rsquo;s cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We respectfully submit that, notwithstanding his conviction, Bob is deserving of mercy because of the penalties already imposed, his age, and the lack of a compelling need to impose a custodial sentence,&rdquo; the lawyers added.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Others have vouched for Menendez, including the mayor of Passaic, New Jersey, and Menendez&rsquo;s former chief of staff, Danny O&rsquo;Brien. His son, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), said he hoped his father could be a presence in his grandchildren&rsquo;s lives and offset the &ldquo;precious moments that he missed&rdquo; serving as a senator.<\/p>\n<p>Federal prosecutors will submit their own sentencing recommendations later this month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1930542\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1930542\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Jersey ethics commissioner requests leniency for Menendez<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2388001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/bob-menendez.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34429,4381,33096,5894],"class_list":["post-2388000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bob-menendez","tag-ethics","tag-new-jersey","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/bob-menendez.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2388000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2388000"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2388000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2388004,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2388000\/revisions\/2388004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2388001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2388000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2388000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2388000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}