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DAWN Statement on the Sentencing of Sen. Bob Menendez and Egypt's Corrupt Influence in U.S. Politics

(Washington, D.C., January 29, 2025)  In response to the sentencing today by the Federal Court of the Southern District of New York of former New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez to 11 years in prison, following his felony conviction on 16 counts, including bribery and corruption charges, for taking cash, a Mercedes Benz and gold bars as bribes from the Egyptian government, DAWN issued the following statement:

"Senator Menendez should spend every day of his next 11 years in prison contemplating not only his betrayal of the American people, but the harm he caused millions of Egyptians as he worked to cover up the Egyptian dictatorship's human rights abuses for a few gold bars," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN. "The Justice Department and Congress should now focus on holding accountable the Egyptian officials who so brazenly tried to undermine our democracy and export their corruption to our nation by bribing a senior U.S. government official."

"We have been urging the Justice Department and Congress to investigate every communication by Egypt and its lobbyists here in the U.S. with every member of Congress and the White House, because where there's smoke, there's fire," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's advocacy director. "It's incomprehensible that the Biden administration did nothing but reward General Sisi's corruption of our government with ever greater military and political support; we hope President Trump will punish him and his government for this nasty attack on our country."

DAWN investigated and identified the Egyptian officials involved in the bribery and corruption scheme in 2024, issuing numerous letters to the Department of Justice and Members of Congress to undertake investigations and prosecutions of these Egyptian officials. DAWN has also identified the nefarious role of former U.S. officials, including Nadeam Elshami and Ed Royce, who have been lobbying for Egypt's dictatorship to secure U.S. support for its repressive rule.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 29: Former U.S. senator Bob Menendez leaves Manhattan Federal Court after his sentencing in bribery conviction in New York, United States on January 29, 2025. Former US Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on bribery, extortion and corruption charges

Source: Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images

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