Former Sen. Bob Menendez, who was convicted on federal corruption charges in July and is facing potentially years in prison, has been seeking a pardon from President Joe Biden without success. Allies of Menendez have approached the White House multiple times since the fall, but Biden is unlikely to grant him clemency. As a result, Menendez has shifted his focus to President-elect Donald Trump, believing he may have a better chance of securing a sentence commutation from him.
Despite disagreements over issues like Iran and immigration policies, Menendez has considered reaching out to Trump for clemency. He has used emissaries, including Jewish leaders in New Jersey, to make his case for a pardon. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, has also been charged in connection to the corruption charges and will be tried separately.
Menendez’s allies believe he could use the argument that he was prosecuted by a weaponized Department of Justice, similar to Trump’s claims, to justify a possible pardon from the outgoing president. Menendez has pointed to Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as a potential precedent for his own case.
Menendez, who had a contentious relationship with Biden, ultimately resigned from the Senate in August and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29. His pursuit of a pardon underscores his concern about spending significant time in prison and his efforts to secure clemency from either Biden or Trump.
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