Rebuffed by Biden, former pro-Armenian Senator seeks pardon from Trump

Former pro-Armenian Senator Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is seeking a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump after facing repeated rebuffs from President Joe Biden.

Menendez’s allies have approached the White House multiple times in recent months, hoping Biden would grant him clemency. However, after these efforts appeared unsuccessful, Menendez has shifted his focus to Trump, believing he might have a better chance of securing a pardon or commutation from the incoming president, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Menendez even suggested to those close to him prior to the November election that Trump might be more receptive to granting him clemency.

Menendez is facing significant legal consequences following his conviction on federal corruption charges in July. Federal prosecutors have recommended a sentence of at least 15 years, and Menendez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29. This has heightened his concerns about spending years in prison.

Menendez, who resigned from the Senate in August after the conviction, had hoped Biden might intervene, but the two men are not particularly close. Their relationship has been strained, with disagreements over key issues like Iran and immigration policies, further complicating Menendez’s hopes for a pardon.

The former senator’s impeachment votes against Trump in 2020 also make the prospect of clemency from Trump complicated. Nevertheless, Menendez has suggested that a rejection of a pardon from Biden might make Trump more inclined to offer him clemency. Menendez has explored multiple avenues for a pardon, including using third-party intermediaries close to Biden, such as longtime adviser Steve Ricchetti, though the White House has been noncommittal.

Menendez has also enlisted emissaries, including Jewish leaders from New Jersey, to advocate for him in discussions with Trump’s transition team. His strong ties to the state’s Jewish communities, coupled with his advocacy for Israel during his time in office, may be leveraged to gain favor with Trump.

Looking to Trump’s 2020 commutation of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich as a precedent, Menendez’s team has drawn parallels between Blagojevich’s conviction for corruption and Menendez’s own charges, which include accepting bribes from Egypt and Qatar. Some Menendez allies have also suggested that he could argue his prosecution was politically motivated by a corrupt Department of Justice, a narrative Trump has frequently invoked, potentially bolstering Menendez’s case for clemency.

By Vafa Guliyeva