Trump considering clemency for disgraced former Senator Bob Menendez

In a move that has outraged critics of corruption, former President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing clemency for disgraced former Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey who was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery, foreign agent violations, and obstruction of justice.

The potential pardon, which Menendez has openly courted, threatens to undermine the rule of law and embolden a new era of brazen political corruption, according to Lisa McCormick, the grassroots activist who took nearly four of ten votes away from the corrupt former lawmaker in the 2018 Democratic primary election.

Menendez, once a powerful figure in New Jersey politics, was convicted in July 2024 after a nine-week trial that exposed a staggering web of corruption.

The former senator accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold bars, cash-stuffed envelopes, and a luxury convertible, in exchange for using his position to benefit foreign governments and protect his co-conspirators from criminal investigations.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Menendez has positioned himself as a victim of a “corrupt” justice system, echoing Trump’s frequent attacks on the judiciary.

In a statement outside the courthouse following his sentencing, Menendez declared, “President Trump is right. This process is political and it’s corrupted to the core.”

He even tagged Trump in a social media post that was widely seen as a desperate plea for clemency.

“The spectacle of a convicted felon appealing to a former president—who himself is a convicted criminal, fraudster, and adjudicated rapist—has left many Americans questioning the integrity of the nation’s highest offices,” said McCormick, who urged citizens not to give up hope. “The problem is a system that exploits labor, fuels wars, and focuses on militarizing the border or deporting workers, instead of ensuring that all workers—immigrant and native-born alike—have access to good jobs, healthcare, education, and housing.”

“Prosecutions of corporate criminals hit record low under Attorney General Merrick Garland,” said McCormick. “Now Donald Trump is climbing into bed with white-collar criminals, opening floodgates for polluters, international bribery schemes, and financial institutions that scam consumers.”

Trump, the first convicted criminal to be elected to the White House, has a long history of using his pardon power to reward allies and undermine the justice system. A pardon for Menendez would be one of the most blatant examples yet of this pattern.

Menendez’s crimes are as brazen as they are numerous. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the former senator accepted bribes from New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes in exchange for using his influence to benefit the Egyptian government, disrupt criminal investigations, and secure favorable treatment for his co-conspirators.

Among the most shocking details of the case:

Over $480,000 in cash was found stuffed into envelopes and hidden in Menendez’s home, some of which bore his fingerprints.

Menendez accepted gold bars worth over $100,000, which were discovered during an FBI raid.

He pressured U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to protect a monopoly granted to Hana by the Egyptian government, despite the harm it caused to U.S. businesses.

Menendez ghostwrote a letter on behalf of Egypt to his Senate colleagues, advocating for the release of $300 million in aid.

Despite this mountain of evidence, Menendez has portrayed himself as a victim, claiming he is the target of a politicized prosecution. His lawyers argued for a lenient sentence, citing his “half-century of public service.”

But Judge Sidney Stein was unmoved, sentencing Menendez to 11 years in prison—well above the two years his legal team had requested.

If Trump grants clemency to Menendez, it would set a dangerous precedent, signaling that powerful politicians can engage in blatant corruption without consequence.

It would also deepen the cynicism many Americans feel about their government, reinforcing the perception that the justice system is rigged in favor of the wealthy and well-connected.

The potential pardon has already drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and good-government advocates.

“This would be a slap in the face to every American who believes in the rule of law,” said McCormick. “It sends the message that if you’re rich and powerful enough, you can buy your way out of trouble.”

The move could also have political repercussions for Trump and the Republican Party. In New Jersey, where Trump owns a golf course and maintains a residence, Republicans are reportedly divided over whether to support a pardon for Menendez.

Some fear it could alienate voters and tarnish the party’s reputation, while others see it as an opportunity to score political points by undermining a prominent Democrat.

The Menendez case is not the only high-profile corruption scandal making headlines.

In New York City, three senior federal prosecutors resigned rather than dropping corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams, who is accused of accepting bribes from foreign nationals and fraudulently obtaining campaign funds.

Danielle Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned three days after Justice Department leadership instructed her to drop the criminal corruption case against Adams.

John Keller, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll, the senior-most career Justice Department official leading the Criminal Division, also resigned after being asked to take over the Adams case, according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

If both Menendez and Adams escape accountability, it could usher in a golden age of corruption, where politicians feel emboldened to abuse their power without fear of consequences. The rule of law, already under strain, could be further eroded, leaving ordinary Americans to bear the brunt of a system that favors the rich and powerful.