Former Senator Bob Menendez reported to Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania, to begin his 11-year sentence, marking a significant fall from grace for the once-prominent New Jersey Democrat and former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Menendez's conviction came after a two-month trial last summer where he was found guilty on 16 counts, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, and other corruption-related charges. His business associates, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, have also started serving their prison terms.

This case places Menendez among the rare group of U.S. senators who have served prison time, a list that includes another New Jersey Democrat, Senator Harrison Williams Jr. from the 1980s Abscam scandal.

In court, Menendez sought leniency, expressing remorse and highlighting his fall from political stature and public mockery as "Gold Bar Bob." Tearfully, he told Judge Sidney Stein, "Other than family, I have lost everything I ever cared about," with his two adult children, including Rep. Rob Menendez, present during this emotional plea.

However, Judge Stein was unmoved by the appeal for mercy, criticizing Menendez for his shift from an anti-corruption advocate to a participant in corruption, driven by what he described as greed and hubris. "Somewhere along the way, I don’t know where, you lost your way," Stein remarked during the sentencing.

Adding to the controversy, Menendez has recently taken to social media to criticize the legal proceedings, hinting at seeking a pardon from former President Donald Trump, under whose administration the investigation into Menendez began in 2019.

Despite beginning his sentence, Menendez continues to fight his conviction, with his legal team preparing for an appeals process that challenges several trial rulings by Judge Stein. Notably, issues arose during the trial regarding what evidence was permissible, with subsequent admissions by prosecutors that some excluded evidence had inadvertently been made available to the jury.

These ongoing appeals, which delve into complex constitutional protections and trial conduct, indicate that the legal battle over Menendez's conviction may reach as far as the Supreme Court.

As Menendez adjusts to life behind bars, the legal discourse surrounding his case continues to unfold, suggesting that the final chapter of his public and legal life has yet to be written.