Former Senator Menendez Begins 11-Year Prison Sentence in Pennsylvania

Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has begun serving an 11-year federal prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, after being convicted on multiple bribery and corruption charges. Menendez, 71, was found guilty of accepting bribes including gold bars, cash, and a luxury car, in exchange for using his Senate Foreign Relations Committee position to benefit businessmen and foreign governments such as Qatar and Egypt. This conviction marked the first time a U.S. senator was found guilty of abusing a Senate leadership role and serving as a foreign agent while in office. Despite maintaining his innocence and appealing his conviction, a federal appeals court denied his bail request. Menendez has publicly aligned himself with President Donald Trump’s criticisms of the judicial system and expressed hope for a pardon, calling the prosecution politically motivated and the process corrupt. His lawyers have argued that the prison term is a "life and death" sentence due to his advanced age and health concerns.