Peter Baker: “In this second incarnation as president, Mr. Trump is presenting himself as a born-again corruption fighter rooting out waste, fraud and abuse from all corners of the federal government — even as he is dismantling the government’s mechanisms for fighting corruption, as it has been traditionally defined.”

“The president is boasting that he and Elon Musk, his partner in the efficiency drive, have found ‘billions and billions of dollars’ of corrupt spending, although they have yet to provide evidence.”

“At the same time, his administration is dropping corruption cases against political figures with ties to him, firing inspectors general who actually search for abuse and pledging not to enforce a signature anti-corruption law against major corporations.”

“A federal jury has found former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud in a partial verdict announced Wednesday morning,” the Chicago Sun Times reports.

“Jurors found Madigan guilty of 10 counts against him and not guilty of 7 others, including a charge of racketeering conspiracy. The jury reached no verdict on 6 other counts he faced.”

“Madigan watched as the verdict was brought to judge. As it was read, he looked down toward the floor, giving no expression as the counts were read, both guilty and not guilty, occasionally giving a slight nod. As he left the courtroom, he was met by his two daughters, Tiffany and Nicole, who had been seated in the front row. They touched his shoulder and followed him out.”

“The Justice Department on Monday told federal prosecutors in New York to drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted in September and accused of being under illegal foreign influence and accepting bribes through campaign donations and luxury travel perks,” the Washington Post reports.

“President Trump was right. This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.”

— Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), outside the courthouse after Being sentenced to 11 years in prison, apparently angling for a pardon.

Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was sentenced to 11 years in prison “for operating what prosecutors called one of the most brazen corruption schemes in the country’s history, with bribes totaling nearly $1 million in cash, checks, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz,” the Washington Post reports.

The New York Times quotes Judge Sidney Stein: “You were successful, powerful. You stood at the apex of our political system. Somewhere along the way — I don’t know where it was — you lost your way. Working for the public good became working for your good.”

“Robert Menendez, the once-powerful U.S. senator from New Jersey who was convicted last year of participating in a brazen scheme to trade political clout for bribes, could spend much of the rest of his life in prison after he is sentenced on Wednesday in Manhattan,” the New York Times reports.

“Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have recommended a sentence of at least 15 years for Robert Menendez, New Jersey’s former senator who was convicted of trading his political clout for bribes,” the New York Times reports.

The prosecutors said the substantial sentences, combined with significant financial penalties would “provide just punishment for this extraordinary abuse of power and betrayal of the public trust, and to deter others from ever engaging in similar conduct.”

In a stunning and risky move, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D), once the state’s most powerful politician, took the witness stand in his corruption trial, while offering repeated and emphatic denials that he ever betrayed his elected position, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Former Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) lawyers continued to blame Nadine Menendez, who goes on trial next month, indicating “that their client’s greatest failing was being led astray by a conniving wife,” the New York Times reports.

“Lawyers for former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez are urging a judge to be lenient at his sentencing later this month for his conviction on bribery charges, saying the ordeal has made him a “national punchline” despite a lifetime of good deeds that have saved lives,” the AP reports.

“Five months after a jury convicted Sen. Bob Menendez of corruption-related charges that ended his political career, federal prosecutors have admitted to a series of errors that could upend the verdicts,” Politico reports.

“The missteps have handed Menendez’s attorneys just the kind of opening they’d been looking for, and they have already requested a new trial. If they get their way, Menendez could beat federal charges once again — a remarkable prospect given the stash of gold bars and piles of cash used as evidence against him.”

“Prosecutors charged New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ closest confidant in a conspiracy, bribery and money laundering case Thursday,” Politico reports.

“Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released an indictment alleging Ingrid Lewis-Martin — Adams’ long-serving, formidable chief adviser who abruptly resigned on Sunday — gave special treatment to a pair of real estate developers when their construction project ran into a bureaucratic hurdle.”