Bob Menendez, the erstwhile senator from New Jersey, is poised to commence his prison term on Tuesday, June 17, following his conviction on numerous corruption charges last year.
Despite the looming incarceration, Menendez has persistently sought to overturn his conviction, but his efforts were thwarted when a federal appeals panel denied him bail.
According to Straight Arrow News, Menendez was found guilty in July 2024 on 16 felony charges, including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction. The jury determined that Menendez accepted substantial bribes to extricate businessmen from legal predicaments and facilitate the allocation of American funds to Egypt and Qatar.
In January, U.S. Judge Sidney Stein sentenced him to 11 years in a Manhattan district court. U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon remarked, The sentences imposed today result from an egregious abuse of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the federal government, further noting that Menendez exploited his position for personal gain through bribes such as cash, gold, and a luxury vehicle.
Menendez, in a series of posts on X dated June 11, accused prosecutors of loading unconstitutional evidence onto a laptop they gave to the jury, asserting that the illegal evidence, that the Judge had ruled inadmissible, violated the Congressional immunity clause of the Constitution.
Earlier, on June 2, he suggested that his indictment was a consequence of his opposition to President Barack Obamas policies on Cuba, implicating Jack Smith, the former head of the DOJs Public Integrity Unit. Menendez also referenced President Donald Trump, expressing empathy for the president's concerns regarding the alleged "weaponization" of the DOJ.
Menendez's political career spans decades, having represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006, after serving 13 years in the House of Representatives, as well as holding positions in the New Jersey State Legislature and as a mayor.
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