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Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, known for his anti-Türkiye stance, reported Tuesday to federal prison to begin serving an 11-year sentence for corruption, according to the New York Post.
Unless President Donald Trump issues a pardon or commutes his sentence, Menendez will serve the full term.
The 71-year-old Democrat, who once chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was ordered to surrender by 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) Tuesday at the Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill in Pennsylvania.
Menendez was convicted in July 2024 of bribery and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Egypt and Qatar. Prosecutors described a long-running scheme in which he used his position to benefit foreign interests in exchange for lavish gifts.
FBI agents discovered nearly half a million dollars in cash and 13 gold bars worth nearly $150,000 stashed in Menendez’s home.
“Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician,” U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said at sentencing.
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Menendez sought to delay the start of his sentence to support his wife, Nadine Menendez, who was also convicted for her role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
During incarceration, Menendez will have access to mail, magazines, newspapers, postcards and other publications. He will be allowed approximately 300 minutes of phone calls per month and will have email access.
Born to a Cuban immigrant family, Menendez was known in Congress for his opposition to Türkiye, with close ties to Greek Cypriot and Armenian lobbies. He was a leading opponent of the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye and frequently criticized Türkiye’s policies in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions.
After Menendez resigned as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee amid investigations, the F-16 sale to Türkiye proceeded without interruption.
His wife, Nadine Menendez, was convicted alongside him. She was accused of accepting bribes—including cash, gold bars and a luxury car—from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for resolving legal issues. Prosecutors described her as a “partner in crime” with her husband.
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