Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), was convicted on Monday of accepting bribes in a scheme that involved her husband while he was chairing one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.
The 58-year-old wife of the former senator was found guilty on 15 counts in the same New York courtroom where her husband was convicted last year, Bloomberg reported. Prosecutors said that Nadine and her 71-year-old husband, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison, were “partners in crime.”
Nadine’s charges included bribery, obstruction of justice, and conspiring to make Bob Menendez an agent of Egypt, according to The New York Times. During her husband’s time in office, Nadine helped Menendez collect bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. In return, the former Democratic senator who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pushed for military aid for the Egyptian government and helped secure a monopoly for an Egyptian American businessman, according to prosecutors.
“This is about the defendant being partners in crime with a U.S. senator, helping a politician put his power up for sale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said during closing arguments last week. “When there’s money on the line for her, the defendant sprung into action to get Menendez to take an official act or to promise that he would.”
The jury ultimately agreed with the prosecution after deliberating for over six hours. Nadine is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12. She faced a separate trial from her husband as she battled breast cancer. Last month, the former senator said it was “cruel and inhumane” to start the trial for Nadine while she struggles with breast cancer.
“My wife, who had breast cancer reconstructive surgery just days ago, is being forced by the government to go to trial tomorrow. Only the arrogance of the SDNY [Southern District of New York] can be so cruel and inhumane. They should let her fully recover!” Menendez wrote.
The couple began dating in 2018 and were married in 2020. During former Sen. Menendez’s trial, his lawyers attempted to shift blame to Nadine for accepting bribes without his knowledge. Menendez’s attorney, Avi Weitzman, argued that Nadine “kept him in the dark” about her financial struggles, and the couple had separate bank accounts and credit cards.
During a raid in 2022, authorities found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in a closet and seized a Mercedes at the couple’s New Jersey home. Lawyers for former Sen. Menendez argued that he did not have a key to his wife’s closet. Menendez remained in his Senate seat following the bribery charges and throughout the trial. He finally resigned from the Senate after the guilty verdict.
The former Democratic senator is reportedly seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump after he failed to get clemency from former President Joe Biden.
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[[{“value”:”
Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), was convicted on Monday of accepting bribes in a scheme that involved her husband while he was chairing one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.
The 58-year-old wife of the former senator was found guilty on 15 counts in the same New York courtroom where her husband was convicted last year, Bloomberg reported. Prosecutors said that Nadine and her 71-year-old husband, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison, were “partners in crime.”
Nadine’s charges included bribery, obstruction of justice, and conspiring to make Bob Menendez an agent of Egypt, according to The New York Times. During her husband’s time in office, Nadine helped Menendez collect bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. In return, the former Democratic senator who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pushed for military aid for the Egyptian government and helped secure a monopoly for an Egyptian American businessman, according to prosecutors.
“This is about the defendant being partners in crime with a U.S. senator, helping a politician put his power up for sale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said during closing arguments last week. “When there’s money on the line for her, the defendant sprung into action to get Menendez to take an official act or to promise that he would.”
The jury ultimately agreed with the prosecution after deliberating for over six hours. Nadine is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12. She faced a separate trial from her husband as she battled breast cancer. Last month, the former senator said it was “cruel and inhumane” to start the trial for Nadine while she struggles with breast cancer.
“My wife, who had breast cancer reconstructive surgery just days ago, is being forced by the government to go to trial tomorrow. Only the arrogance of the SDNY [Southern District of New York] can be so cruel and inhumane. They should let her fully recover!” Menendez wrote.
The couple began dating in 2018 and were married in 2020. During former Sen. Menendez’s trial, his lawyers attempted to shift blame to Nadine for accepting bribes without his knowledge. Menendez’s attorney, Avi Weitzman, argued that Nadine “kept him in the dark” about her financial struggles, and the couple had separate bank accounts and credit cards.
During a raid in 2022, authorities found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in a closet and seized a Mercedes at the couple’s New Jersey home. Lawyers for former Sen. Menendez argued that he did not have a key to his wife’s closet. Menendez remained in his Senate seat following the bribery charges and throughout the trial. He finally resigned from the Senate after the guilty verdict.
The former Democratic senator is reportedly seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump after he failed to get clemency from former President Joe Biden.
“}]]
