Disgraced former Senator pleads for clemency outside courthouse after sentencing

Disgraced former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison on corruption charges, made a shameless public appeal for clemency outside the courthouse Monday, calling on President Donald Trump to intervene in his case.

Menendez, who was after a nine-week trial, during which jurors saw evidence that Menendez accepted gifts including a Mercedes-Benz, gold bars worth over $100,000 and more than $480,000 in cash, found by FBI agents inside Menendez’s home.

In exchange for the bribes, prosecutors said Menendez helped secure millions of dollars in US aid for Egypt. His lawyers argued the car, gold bars, and cash were gifts did not qualify as bribes.

“President Trump was right. This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system,” Menendez said to reporters after his sentencing.

The plea comes after Dr. Salomon Melgen, who was also implicated in the 2015 indictment of Menendez, had his 17-year prison sentence commuted by Trump in the final hours of his presidency.

Melgen, a major donor to Menendez, was convicted separately for defrauding elderly Medicare patients whose sentence reduction was part of a broader pattern of clemency granted by Trump to individuals with political ties or personal connections, spanning both Democrats and Republicans.

Menendez’s legal troubles began in 2015 when he was indicted for allegedly accepting nearly $1 million worth of gifts, campaign contributions, and other benefits from Melgen in exchange for using his influence as a U.S. Senator to advance Melgen’s personal and business interests.

The charges included bribery, honest services fraud, and violations of the Travel Act. The trial ended in a mistrial in 2017, but Menendez faced a subsequent investigation and legal battles, leading to his conviction.

Last July, a jury found Menendez guilty on 16 counts for accepting gifts, including gold bars, cash and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for helping foreign governments.

Earlier on Wednesday, two of Menendez’s co-conspirators were sentenced in the case.

Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate developer who prosecutors say delivered gold and cash to the senator, was given a sentence of seven years in prison and fined $1.75 million

Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, who prosecutors say brokered a deal between Menendez and the Egyptian government, received more than eight years in prison and was fined $1.25 million.

The2015 indictment outlined how Menendez used his position to advocate on behalf of Melgen’s financial and personal interests, including securing favorable government action on a contractual dispute, lobbying on behalf of Melgen’s Medicare billing issues, and seeking visas for Melgen’s romantic partners.

Menendez has long maintained his innocence, and his supporters argue that the charges against him were politically motivated.

However, the sentence handed down reflects the severity of the corruption charges, which included detailed accounts of Menendez accepting lavish gifts, flights, and vacations, none of which were disclosed on his financial forms as required by law.

The public call for clemency reflects Menendez’s belief that his conviction was part of a broader pattern of political targeting. His statement echoes sentiments Trump himself voiced about perceived corruption within the system, though Menendez’s appeal will likely face scrutiny from both legal experts and the public, given the nature of his conviction and the ongoing discussion surrounding political corruption.