According to a report by CoinDesk, Bob Menendez, a Democratic senator from the state of New Jersey in the United States, who had previously strongly criticized cryptocurrencies, was convicted by a jury on Tuesday for accepting bribes such as gold bars and luxury cars using his political influence.
Bob Menendez has been a public critic of cryptocurrencies and had accused Bitcoin of being the “ideal choice for criminals.” However, he himself has now been convicted as a criminal, leading to widespread discussions within the cryptocurrency community about this ironic situation.
In the past, Bob Menendez had also co-sponsored a bill called the “Accountability for Cryptocurrencies in El Salvador Act (ACES)”, which called for the US State Department to report on the risks to the US financial system if Bitcoin were to be recognized as legal tender in El Salvador. Stacy Herbert, a member of El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC), stated on X platform that the real criminal is Bob Menendez and that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Bob Menendez, should apologize to President Bukele and El Salvador.
After the verdict, Menendez defended his innocence outside the court, claiming to be a patriot who has always served the country and never acted as an agent for any foreign entity. However, the prosecutor pointed out that Menendez’s actions went beyond the realm of normal political behavior and were driven by personal interests. The prosecutor stated that with Menendez being found guilty, his years of selling public office to the highest bidder finally come to an end.
Bob Menendez has been a member of the US Congress since 1993 and has served as a senator since 2006. Despite calls for his resignation from top party leaders, including Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, he has not yet stepped down. Menendez’s sentencing is expected to take place on October 29th, and he could face several decades of imprisonment.
