Bob Menendez Begins 11-Year Prison Sentence for Bribery

Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has begun serving an 11-year prison sentence for bribery and acting as an agent of Egypt. Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, was convicted of accepting bribes in the form of gold and cash, and has been derisively nicknamed “Gold Bar Bob” by his own lawyer. He is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, which includes both medium and minimum-security facilities. Given the nature of his crimes, it is likely that he will be placed in the minimum-security camp.

Menendez has maintained his innocence throughout the legal process and has expressed his hope that President Donald Trump will intervene and clean up the judicial system. He has been critical of the political nature of the judicial process, stating that it is "corrupted to the core." Menendez has aligned himself with Trump's criticisms of the system, particularly in New York City, and has pleaded for leniency, acknowledging his mistakes but also highlighting his past contributions. Last week, a federal appeals court rejected his final attempt to remain free on bail while he challenges his conviction.

Menendez resigned from his Senate seat last year after his conviction. FBI agents found $480,000 in cash in his home, along with gold bars worth an estimated $150,000 and a luxury convertible. In exchange for these bribes, prosecutors allege that Menendez performed corrupt favors for New Jersey business owners, including protecting them from criminal investigations and helping with business deals involving foreign powers. He had served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and had been in the Senate since 2006.

Two business owners were also convicted alongside Menendez. His wife, Nadine Menendez, was convicted in April of accepting bribes from the business owners and is set to be sentenced in September. At his sentencing, Menendez's lawyers described his journey from poverty to becoming a prominent political figure, highlighting his rise from mayor of Union City, New Jersey, to decades in Congress, before his conviction "rendered him a national punchline."