Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, whose husband, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, has criticized the Manhattan federal prosecutors for allegedly treating her unfairly.
Nadine Menendez, 58, was initially scheduled to stand trial alongside her husband, 71, last year, but her trial was delayed due to her breast cancer diagnosis and surgery. She has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of being involved in the bribery scheme that led to her husband’s conviction.
Bob Menendez expressed his frustration on social media last week, stating, “My wife, who had breast cancer reconstructive surgery just days ago, is being forced by the government to go to trial tomorrow.” He further criticized the Southern District of New York, referring to them as “arrogant” and calling the situation “cruel and inhumane,” urging them to allow his wife time to recover fully.
In late January, the former senator was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. Prosecutors argued that these payments were exchanged for various favors, such as using his influence to assist the businessmen with foreign governments. He was also convicted of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt.
After his conviction, Menendez resigned from his Senate seat. A judge postponed the start of his prison sentence until June 6 so he could attend his wife’s trial.
During her two-month trial, Nadine Menendez was frequently mentioned in connection with the businessmen involved. One testified that he bought her a luxury car after the senator attempted to persuade New Jersey prosecutors to drop a criminal investigation into one of his associates.
In 2022, FBI agents raided the couple’s home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, discovering over $100,000 in gold bars and more than $480,000 in cash hidden in envelopes, shoeboxes, jackets, and boots.
During the trial, Bob Menendez explained that the gold belonged to his wife and that the cash was the result of his tendency to hoard money, a habit he inherited from his parents, who fled Cuba in 1951 with only what they had hidden in a grandfather clock.
Menendez, who previously overcame another corruption case a decade ago, has aligned himself with Donald Trump’s criticisms of the judicial system, especially in New York City. In a complaint posted on social media on March 17, he tagged the former president.
“This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core,” Menendez told reporters after his sentencing. “I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores integrity to the system.”
