A federal appeals court has rejected former Sen. Bob Menendez's request to delay serving his prison sentence while he appeals his conviction for corruption.
According to The Hill, the decision means Menendez must begin his 11-year prison term on Tuesday despite ongoing efforts to seek Supreme Court intervention or a presidential pardon.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit issued the 2-1 ruling against Menendez. The three-judge panel included Judge Alison Nathan, who dissented, indicating her belief that Menendez’s sentence should have been postponed.
Last year, Menendez faced a conviction on 16 counts of corruption-related charges. The charges involved bribery and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. This case marked Menendez as the first public official to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent while holding office.
The court case not only affected Menendez but also his wife, Nadine Menendez. She faced accusations of participating in the bribery scheme and conspiring to turn her husband into a foreign agent. Although convicted in April, her sentencing was postponed to September 11 due to her health issues with breast cancer.
Nadine’s trial faced delays because of her diagnosis and subsequent surgery for breast cancer, which the court took into consideration. Despite her health struggles, she was found guilty on all charged counts alongside her husband.
Additionally, the case implicated several businessmen. Two were convicted and already reported to prison last month, while a third entered a guilty plea. These developments further intensified the legal challenges for the Menendez family.
In a bid to avoid incarceration, Menendez requested a release from a federal judge in April, a request that was denied, leading to the recent appeal. Despite the unfavorable outcomes, Menendez and his supporters remain hopeful for a pardon from the White House.
Recently, allies of Menendez have approached President Trump, seeking clemency. Menendez himself has openly shown his alignment with Trump’s administration, extending support in the face of his prosecution.
Menendez, maintaining his stance of innocence, has characterized his prosecution as politicized, stating publicly, "President Trump was right." He highlighted the alleged misuse of political power in his case, labeling it as "political" and "corrupted to the core."
Attempting to draw a parallel to Trump’s legal battles, Menendez recently made social media posts questioning the weaponization of judicial processes against him and the former president. This stance has become a central part of his ongoing public narrative.
While the court's decision mandates Menendez to report to prison, his legal team hasn't ruled out pursuing additional legal remedies. They remain focused on escalating the matter potentially to the Supreme Court, aiming for intervention that might overturn his conviction or at least delay his sentence.
Moreover, supporters are urging the administration for a presidential pardon, hopeful that Menendez's alliance with Trump might lend some influence in the decision-making process at the White House.
As he prepares to begin his sentence, Menendez’s political career faces uncertainty. The conviction and ongoing legal battles have significantly tarnished his public image. Nonetheless, this latest chapter in Menendez's legal saga reflects broader themes of political allegiance, judicial contention, and the role of the executive in matters of clemency, keeping the story in public and political discourse. While Menendez enters prison, the broader implications of his case continue to unfold, potentially influencing both legal precedents and political alliances in the years ahead.