He was convicted in April 2017 on 67 counts, including health care fraud, submitting false claims and falsifying patient records.
A White House statement credited Menendez with supporting clemency for Melgen, who was a donor to Democratic politicians and a longtime friend of the Cuban-American New Jersey senator.
In a statement of his own, Menendez said he did very little on Melgen’s behalf and did not expect the clemency decision from Trump.
“I don’t pretend to know what motivates President Trump to act, but I am pretty sure it’s not me,” Menendez said.
A federal jury in New Jersey failed to reach a verdict on charges that Melgen used his relationship to bribe Menendez.