Federal appeals court denies Menendez' bid for bail as prison sentence looms

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Wednesday rejected former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's bid for bail as he appeals his corruption conviction and prepares to report to prison next week.

Menendez was convicted on all 16 counts in his federal corruption case last year, including obstruction of justice, bribery, extortion, wire fraud and acting as a foreign agent. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in January.

The federal appeals court did not give a reason for its ruling, but the decision was split in a 2-1 vote, the Associated Press reported. Judge Alison Nathan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, voted to grant the request.

The ruling comes as he tries to appeal the conviction but the New Jersey Democrat faces a tight deadline because he's due to report to prison on Tuesday. He is also seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Menendez's wife Nadine Menendez has also been convicted of accepting bribes as part of a years-long corruption scheme. She has not been sentenced so far.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.