El Salvador president Nayib Bukele had a moment of victory when he was not charged or prosecuted in the corruption case involving former US senator (DP NJ) Robert Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison. The event in question has attracted much attention as Menendez was one of the biggest critics of Bitcoin in El Salvador.
Menendez was a US senator from New Jersey who had been very vocal in his opposition to El Salvador’s move to make Bitcoin a legal currency. He was famous for describing Bitcoin as an “ideal choice for criminals” whose use could lead to corruption and money laundering. In fact, he worked to pass laws in the US to investigate and stop Bitcoin’s impact in El Salvador. Menendez was so against Bitcoin he even recommended that the country is utilizing it to mask illegal exercises.
But in a twist of fate, Menendez was convicted of corruption charges. Gold bars and almost half a million dollars in cash were found in his home by federal prosecutors. His efforts to assist businessmen from Egypt and Qatar were mounted along with the bribe deals. It was a massive scandal against him, with enough evidence to show that Menendez was obsessed with using his power to take bribes while even attempting to stop the investigations of his actions.
President Bukele couldn’t resist that irony when news of Menendez’s sentencing. He posted online laughing at the former senator Menendez adding, “This guy said we used Bitcoin for money laundering and corruption.”
Bukele also took a bold move in response to Menendez’s downfall, as he banned him from entering El Salvador with some ‘karma’. In El Salvador, there were changes made to the country’s Bitcoin Law which makes it easier for businesses to voluntarily accept Bitcoin instead of mandatorily accepting it.
Many people are now viewing the irony in Menendez’s anti Bitcoin stance because his corruption charges have now drowned out his previously stated criticisms of Bitcoin.
Also read: Ripple CEO Defends Against Bitcoin Reserve Sabotage Claims
