Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, once a vocal critic of El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption. The former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was found guilty of accepting bribes in gold bars, cash, and luxury gifts in exchange for political favors.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele reacted to the news, recalling how Menendez accused the country of using Bitcoin for money laundering and corruption. “El ladrón juzga por su condición,” Bukele commented, implying hypocrisy in Menendez’s stance.
The disgraced senator, who once wielded significant influence over U.S. foreign policy, must report to federal prison by June 6.